The Time In Between
by ninjafairygirl
Summary: Kairi, Namine and Riku embark on a journey to find Sora. Meanwhile, he is trying to find his way back to them. Their adventures as they travel through the worlds. But it's not as simple as it seems. Between the foretellers, the book of prophecies and a missing friend, there are plenty of mysteries left to solve. Prequel to "the bet". Slight Sokai, slight Namiku.
1. An Exploration

A/N: I know there is actually a small chance that Kairi is still stuck in the final world (if so, i would LOVE to see a party made up of Riku, Namine and King Mickey.) They gotta give Kairi some screen time though. I'll put hints of shipping in, but I'm wanting to structure it similar to a game. In theory, this would be the game in between 3 and 4. I don't think the secret video is going to apply until KH4, so we won't be dealing with TWEWY or Verum Rex. Remember, I don't own Kingdom Hearts, or else things would have turned out very differently.

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**Kairi**

The morning was cool and dark as Kairi awoke in a sweat. It was that dream again. She found herself on a giant stain glass window that had a picture of Sora, sleeping. She was a little surprised to see herself on the design in a small circle next to his head, alongside Riku and Roxas. There was something with a door, and weapons to choose from- she even found herself fighting off a giant heartless all by herself. Perhaps she'd been training too much recently. Maybe Riku had been working her too hard. It wasn't the first time she had had the dream. It was nearly a nightly occurrence since returning home from the keyblade war.

She wished Sora was here. It was a longing that had nearly consumed her on a daily basis. After so much fighting, they were so close to a happy ending. If only she had been able to react against Xehanort faster. She cursed herself every time she thought of it. Everyone told her it wasn't her fault and she was inexperienced, but that couldn't change how she felt. A long scar trailed her back, forever reminding her of what she had failed to do. Sora would have dodged.

There was a small amount of light streaming in through the window, as it had been a full moon that night. The moon was round. That heart shaped moon was so unnatural to Kairi. And yet, it somehow held one of the greatest powers in the nearly jumped when she looked over to see Namine sitting up, staring at her.

"You're up" Kairi simply stated, hiding her surprise.

"Couldn't sleep. It looks like you couldn't either. Are you okay?" Namine moved over to her adopted sister's bed.

"Yeah, just a crazy dream." Kairi wiped her head and gave a smile.

"Stain glass window and heartless?" Namine asked.

"How did you know?" Kairi gasped.

"I had the same one. I think it means something." Namine admitted. "Why else would it be happening so often?"

"I just want to go rescue Sora. He shouldn't have to wait another minute. He has done so much for me that I want to bring him home."

"I understand how you feel. Everyone seems to be on edge. Aqua, Terra and Ven are asking around, and Yen did is trying to follow his magic. Even the twilight town gang is doing what they can." Namine placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I know, and I'm grateful. But I think I can follow him using my heart. It wouldn't be so crazy to think about, would it?"

"Not at all. I was hoping you'd say that, actually. With how connected you two are, you're one of the people with the best shots at finding him."

"Really? You're okay if I go?" Kairi was surprised.

Namine gave a small, but mischievous smile. "Of course. As long as you take me."

"What? But you don't have a keyblade. I don't want you to get hurt." Kairi panicked.

With a small roll of her eyes, Namine summoned a small fireball in the palm of her hand, illuminating a small area. She played with it a bit as if it were a regular ball and then extinguished it, causing the room to be drenched in darkness once more.

"Relax. I learned magic through Sora while I was putting his memories back together. I'm not very good yet, but I can do a few basic spells and can protect myself."

"You're kidding me." Kairi a small chuckle. "Alright, then let's do it. Why not go right now? We can get in the gummi ship before Riku even wakes up. If we need anything, we can always come home."

Namine nodded.

After gathering what essentials they could scrounge out and leaving an apology letter for their parents, they headed off as silently as they could through the town and towards the beach. There, the Gummi Ship was waiting for them, seemingly unlocked. It was all too easy. Maybe a little too easy. Namine wasn't as surprised as Kairi when they entered the ship and found the resident keyblade master Riku laying down on one of the seats. He gave a sleepy look at the two as they entered the ship. Namine couldn't help blush. Dressed in only shorts, he gave them a look of curiosity and disapproval. Seeing Namine's blush though, made him self conscious. He murmured something about not being used to the temperature of the island and pulled on his white shirt. He returned and sat back down.

"and where do you think you're going at this hour?" Riku crossed his arms as he sat up.

"Would you believe it if we said Twilight Town?" Namine was dumbfounded.

"Uh huh. So that's why you snuck out of your house and snuck your way onto my ship. When you know that most of the Twilight gang had to start school this week." Riku crossed his arms and gave a sarcastic look.

"Okay, fine. You caught us red handed. Now, back to more important business, there's no reason to hide it. We want to go find Sora. Can we borrow the gummi ship?" Kairi answered.

"You can't be serious. You know that we're working on it." Riku sighed.

"I don't care. I'm tired of waiting around for someone to bring him home. I have a keyblade and Namine has magic. We can take care of ourselves." Kairi had fire in her eyes.

"I get it. But it was Sora's decision to leave to find you. I'm sure he'll make his way home eventually. Why don't you give it a little more time?" Riku asked, a little tired of having this conversation. "Besides, Namine said only yesterday she may have been close to finding his location in his memories, and you're still in training."

"Exactly! Axel and I were training for who knows how long, and I still didn't have the practical application I needed to really do some damage. Imagine how strong I'd be I got some actual experience!" Kairi retorted.

"To be fair, the memory was foggy at best. With Kairi and I working together, there's no reason that we won't be able to track him down. Besides, you have enough students on your hands, you don't need to have one more to train." Namine added. "we'd come right home if there were any trouble."

Namine gave Riku a look of pure innocence and determination that Kairi couldn't help but love. Her facial expression and the way she held herself was full of confidence. Kairi looked at Riku and could tell that his stern demeanor was breaking ever so slightly. Namine had only used the look one other time, and Riku caved almost didn't know if it was because of Namine's involvement in Sora's memory or all the time she spent with Riku while Sora was sleeping, but somehow she knew all of the tricks to cracking his defenses Kairi did and then some.

"I can't believe i'm saying this" Riku sighed "But I guess you make a good argument. On one condition though; I am going with you. I still need to oversee your training, Kairi, and I haven't ever seen Namine use magic outside of her memory ability. We leave in the morning."

Kairi huffed because she knew that Riku had made up his mind on when they would leave. She wanted nothing more to be gone already. Still, it made her feel better that he could help them, as he had experience they didn't. His connection to Sora was just as strong as hers and Namine's, so perhaps it might even help them find him faster. She hated feeling like she had to rely on Sora and Riku to protect her. She was going to prove herself, no matter what.

"Oh, alright. Just don't get in my way." Kairi sneaked a smile.

"I wouldn't dream if it." Riku replied,settling back down into the seat of the Gummi ship. "You guys slipped out of your house easily enough, but you should go back and give your parents the send off they deserve. They've had enough of us running out without saying goodbye. It's the least you can do for them."

"What about you?" Namine asked

"My mom is an early riser and dad feels like 17 is an age where I can be responsible for myself. I'm staying on the ship though, just in case you get any ideas about coming back here before morning." Riku explained. "Now sleep tight, we have a long journey ahead of us."

But neither of the girls could sleep. Before leaving they had done a rushed job of packing. There were still a couple of hours before dawn, so they utilized the time they had to make sure they had everything. It wasn't easy, all things considered. Kairi didn't get much time to earn munny, so most of her accessories and armor were hand-me-downs from the others. They worked fine, but were fairly sparse, as Sora had to sell anything he could in order to pay for all of the eggs he broke while baking with little chef.

"Have you got anything else to pack?" Kairi asked, throwing both the fira bangle and snowman rosette into her bag. "What about clothes? Are you going out on this adventure wearing that?"

"I don't really have anything else- you guys all got clothes that were made specifically to guard against darkness. I don't think the good fairies are going to be able to make anything for me in time."

Kairi looked at her adopted sister with a pause. She had been borrowing Kairi's clothes for a while- they had plans to go shopping for her in the next few days, but had gotten distracted with having to explain their disappearance, being grounded and figuring out the next steps to saving Sora. They hadn't really had time to shop. Besides, Namine was good-natured enough never to complain.

"Why don't we see if there's anything in my closet you can use? Surely it'd be nice to wear something with a little bit of color." Kairi headed for the closet.

Clothes in pinks and whites flew out of the closet, Kairi's school skirt landing on top of Namine's head. Eventually, way in the back, a small 'aha!' could be heard. With some difficulty, the princess of heart reemerged, some clothes in hand. On her left was a dark blue skirt that came to Namine's mid thigh, with two very short layers of yellowing lace on the bottom. On her right was a black v neck tank top that was a little wrinkled, but still good.

"Why don't you try these on? I've had them for forever when I went to fancy party with mom and dad back in middle school. They should fit." kairi handed Namine the garments.

**Sora**

With a pounding headache, Sora awoke. Once again, he found himself in a strange place. Just trying to move left him feeling so..._heavy._ getting up was incredibly difficult. What had happened to him? The last thing he remembered was using the power of waking in order to try and bring Kairi back. Had it worked? He hoped so. Maybe by giving himself up, she was at home, resting after such a trial.

The air was hot and sticky, and any gust of wind brought some welcome movement, even though it didn't cool him down at all. Sweat began dropping down his back. Perhaps black was not the best color to wear in this place. The smells that surrounded him were a mixture of spicy and savory, reminding Sora he hadn't eaten in a while.

Far off in the distance, Sora could hear music playing and a crowd cheering. It was an upbeat tempo with lots of horns and drums playing along in a syncopated time. As he made his way out to the main street, he saw buildings lining the road with people of all kinds walking to and fro. It must have been morning, as many of the cafes were serving huge plates of bacon, eggs, pancakes and coffee. Men were reading newspapers and all of the women wore dresses, travelling together in groups. Wherever he was, it was quite lively.

In order to escape the heat, he decided to duck into the closest cafe, hoping to find some water and directions.

"Make yourself comfortable, I'll be by in a minute to help you, sir." a woman in a yellow dress called out, carrying a ridiculous amount of plates, cups and food.

True to her word, she was over in what seemed to only be a minute. She breathed a sigh of relief and took out a pencil and notebook from one of her pockets. "And what can I get for you today? Our beignets are flying off the shelves and pair just right with a cup of our homemade coffee."

"Sure, I guess, but can I have water instead of coffee? It's even hotter here than where I come from."

"Of course. All those black clothes can't be comfortable, but then again, mardi gras brings out some strange costumes." the woman just gave a customary smile and headed back to the kitchen. On her way back out, she was interrupted by an incoming woman.

"TIA! Tia! Oh Tiana! Over here, sugar plum! You have no IDEA what I'm about to tell you!" a blond woman in a pink dress called enthusiastically.

Sora couldn't help but listen in. The woman's voice filled the entire cafe, despite the noise from all of the other customers.

"You know how prince Naveen is comin' in from Maldonia any hour now? Well, big daddy arranged for him to stay at our house during his stay! Ain't that excitin'? I don't need no frogs to kiss, I'm gonna catch me a real prince!" she practically screamed.

"I'm happy for you, lottie. I hope he's everything you dreamed of." the waitress gave a smile.

"I need some help, though. You see, daddy's having a party tonight to welcome him, and I need something that'll win him over."

An impatient looking man rang a bell from the kitchen, holding up a plate of pastries. Sora hoped they were his, as they looked absolutely delicious. They reminded him of something he had made with little chef a few months back. The waitress continued listening to the woman as she brought them over.

"Wow! These are incredible!" Sora exclaimed, and then began digging in.

The woman named Lottie stopped talking long enough to look over at Sora and his delight of the puff pastries. In a moment, her face lit up, and she turned to grab the waitress, who carefully caught all of the plates on her tray.

"Tia, that's it! Your cookin is good enough to catch any man! I need you to make some of those man cakes for my party tonight!" she grabbed a wad of money and shoved it at the waitress. "Let me know if you need any more, I'll do anything to land a prince!"

"Yes, this should be enough." the waitress laughed a little bit as she looked over the money lottie had given her. "I''ll be there!"

Sora was a bit confused as to what happened, but he found he had finished his beignets and water, so he paid and left. It was an odd turn of events, but certainly not unentertaining.

Now that he had a full stomach, he would be able to think better. It didn't seem he would be able to find a way off this world without a gummi ship, so he figured he'd at least check for heartless before trying to use the power of waking again. Maybe giving it a bit of time would allow him to recharge and avoid getting too close to the darkness.

As he passed a particularly dark alleyway, he nearly ran into a man who was dressed in a black suit and purple shirt. He had a top hat on and a look that seemed to ooze both charisma and trouble. Behind him was a stout man with sideburns and a suit coat, looking quite nervous while carrying a rattling box.

Sora noticed the man in the suit glance at him. He missed the dismissive wave of the hand as shadows eased the stout man in the other direction.

"Howdy there, the name is Doctor Facilier. You don't seem to be from round these parts. Care for a few parlor tricks?" he gave a grin.

"No thanks. I'm just looking around. You haven't happened to have seen anything strange going on around her recently, have you? Maybe some monsters?" Sora asked.

"Boy, this is new Orleans at Mardi Gras. There's all sorts odd things going on."

A younger Sora would have asked about this mardi gras (as it had been the second time he had heard about it), but experience had taught him not to open that can of worms. He wondered if Donald would be proud of how easily keeping the world order. Sora liked to think he would be.

"Well okay. I don't suppose you need any help with anything, would you? I'm hoping to burn some time before I have to leave again."

Doctor facilier a sly smile.

"Actually, as a matter of fact, I could use a little bit of a hand. You see, its my friends who need the help."

"Oh? Great, I'll do whatever I can to help!" Sora smiled and perked up.

"Yes, you see- I have friends who…" Doctor Facilier paused. "Well, they aren't necessarily from this side of the bayou. As such, their appetites can't really be satiated at any local cafes."

Sora grew a little uneasy as Doctor Facilier placed one of his long arms around him and began walking. Perhaps it wasn't too late to turn back now. But it was something food based. Maybe he could cook them up something. Little chef seemed to be pleased at his growth in the kitchen.

They headed in the same direction that the little man had went earlier. The conman could sense Sora tightening up as they walked, so he began to tell him historical bits about the town, and little by little, Sora began to relax. He had been wrong about people's personalities before, and the organization was gone. Maybe he was being paranoid.

Before long, they arrived to a beautiful, large home with an enormous driveway and white car parked in front. There were columns in the front of the house, and aromatic trees and flowers lining the way. It was cooler here, too, which Sora appreciated. They swiftly turned, entering a side cottage to find the stout man. The box wasn't rattling anymore, but instead lay neatly on the table. The door closed, and colored candles lit the room.

"Now boy, my associate here and I have some important work to get to. If my friends are going to get what they need, they're going to need that box protected. I don't care who may come. Keep an eye on it and whatever you do, don't open it." Doctor Facilier requested.

"What's in it?" Sora asked.

"The main ingredient." the doctor gave a wry smile.

"Sure. How long do you need me? I would like to get going in a little bit." Sora asked, some hesitation in his voice.

"Just for a few hours. After that, it won't matter what you do." Doctor Facilier smiled.

The stout man looked at the box and back to Sora. He followed after the tall man as they left the little cottage, trusting him with something seemingly important. Sora grabbed a chair and then wiped more sweat off his brow. The little cottage seemed to be roasting. Sora thought to check his gummi phone for a chance to call Kairi to tell her he was alright- Riku, if he couldn't get her. He tried turning on the phone like Chip and Dale showed him, but nothing happened.

With a look of realization, Sora remembered one crucial thing he had been told when he got the phone. Every so often it would need to be charged. The chipmunk duo had given him a little cord, but he had left it on the gummi ship. They hadn't had much of a chance to let it charge anyway.

_Why does technology have to be such a pain? _Sora thought.

With a sigh, he slumped down in his little chair "looks like it's just you and me, bud."

At his words, the box began to rattle and shake, as it had when he last laid eyes on it. The motions were frantic for a few seconds, and then it would stay still for a few minutes. The pattern continued, shaking every so often. Sora could even swear he heard someone grunting.

"Allo, allo? You are not that bad man, I hope?"

"What? Is someone in there?" Sora asked, looking more closely at the box. It shook again.

"As prince of Maldonia, I command you let me go at once!"

"Just hold on. I'll get you out in just a second." Sora stood back and summoned his keyblade.

In a matter of moments, the box unlocked and out jumped a tiny frog.

"Whew, I was positive I was never going to get out of that little box. And now that you have released me, you will change me back immediately." the frog closed his eyes and waited expectantly for his demands to be met. When he wasn't changed back right away, he opened an eye, waiting for something.

"I'm sorry, I'm not exactly sure what's going on here." Sora bent down to be on eye level with the frog.

"Your friend the doctor changed me from a dashing young prince into this slimy mess of a frog. Now you can change me back and I will be free to go on my merry way."

"I think you have me mixed up with that Doctor Facilier guy. He said his friends were starving and you were the main ingredient. I had no idea you were alive. But I don't know of any magic that can turn you back, sorry."

"Then you will take me to someone who can." he perked up. "I know! Lawrence can help. He made arrangements for me to appear at a fabulously wealthy house tonight for a costume party. Surely he can figure a way out of this."

"You're pretty pushy, you know that? Would it hurt to say please once or twice?" Sora stood up.

"I am a prince. I have never needed to say please in my life. Why should I start now?" Naveen leaned on the table's leg.

"Because everyone deserves a little kindness." Sora answered simply. "Besides, you're not exactly commanding right now. You re just a frog."

Naveen sighed and slipped down, his legs folding out to the sides. Sora knelt down again, feeling bad for the little guy. It wasn't exactly his fault that he was in this position. Maybe it would turn out to be a good thing after all.

"Okay, I'll help you. But you've gotta be on your best behavior, got it? Sora picked up the frog prince. "Oh, and fun fact: that's not alone you complained about, its mucus. It's sort of how you breathe."

**Kairi**

Kairi's hands couldn't stay still. Namine was lucky to have her sketchpad and pencils. It gave her something to take her mind off the trip. Riku had just gotten off the phone with the king. He said that he, Donald and Goofy had made a plan to visit several of the worlds that they had seen with Sora, in the hopes that the power of waking had brought him to one of them. The twilight gang couldn't come up with anything, but had promised to call in if he ended up there.

Master Aqua was busy taking care of the land of departure, and Terra and Ven were preparing for their mark of mastery exams. Everyone was doing something, but Kairi couldn't help but feel frustrated.

"Where are we going, Riku?" she huffed.

"I figured we'd stop at Radiant Gardens first. We can ask around a bit and then do what Donald suggested- he said that when Sora was trying to figure out the power of waking, he followed his heart. We'll do the same."

"Why can't we do that first?" Kairi asked.

"It makes sense that we'd stop at radiant gardens. It's a place very close to Sora's heart and there are a lot of people who live there that are special to him. If he's following his heart, there's a chance he'll be there." Namine responded.

"I guess you're right. I'm sorry, I'm just anxious." Kairi admitted.

"We get it. You want to see him more than any of us. We'll find him, I'm sure." Riku gave a comforting smile.

As the gummi ship landed, Namine and Kairi stared out in awe. The town center was being rigged with all sorts of lanterns, tables and even a small stage. Tifa and Leon were doing some last minute construction projects, Merlin was lighting some of the lanterns with his magic in the twilight of the world and Cloud was setting up chairs at the tables. What on earth was going on?

Aeleus and Dilan were looking over some blueprints with Cid, Ienzo was tinkering with the sound equipment and Even seemed to be chatting Aerith's ear off about something or another. She gladly excused herself from the conversation when she noticed the gummi ship land and our heroes disembark.

"Well this is a surprise! Are you guys here for the festival?" Aerith smiled.

"No, we hadn't heard about it. You guys haven't seen Sora around recently, have you?" Kairi asked.

"I'm sorry. But he hasn't been to visit in a very long time. Is he missing? I thought you and Riku would know where he is, of all people."

"I see. Yes, he is. We're on a journey to find him, and thought he might have ended up here at some point." Kairi replied glumly.

Upon seeing the visitors, everyone except Cloud, Dilan and Aeleus came over to greet their friends. They resumed what they were doing, probably on some sort of time crunch.

"You mean you don't know where he is?" Tifa asked.

"We have an idea, but unfortunately, there's no way of knowing where it is, if that makes sense." Namine replied. "We were hoping we might have found him here."

"Wish it were under different circumstances that you were here. But I'm sure that wherever he is, he is doing everything he can to get home to you guys." Leon noted.

"Do you guys have some time? Our festival is to help us celebrate a pretty large chunk of the town being repaired, and it should be a lot of fun!" Yuffie smirked, coming out of practically nowhere.

Kairi have a small smile. "What do you guys think?"

Riku and Namine looked at each other as of they were having a silent debate. Neither wanted to keep Kairi away from their search, but there wasn't really any harm in staying. Besides, maybe it would be a good way to help Kairi get her mind off things.

"I think it would be good. After all, it hasn't been long at all since we saved the world. And besides, all of your anxiety has made _me _anxious. We don't have to stay long, maybe for one or two dances?" Namine suggested.

"Consider it some training, and it'll take your mind off of your worries. Being a keyblade wielder takes more than physical strength. You need some balance of work and fun." Riku suggested.

Kairi's smile widened. It seemed forced at first, but grew into a genuine one. "You guys are right. But I get to pick the first world we go to after this!"

Riku gave a small chuckle while Namine looked relieved. "Aye aye, captain!"

As the sun sunk lower in the sky, the lights Merlin enchanted glowed brighter, and everything seemed perfect. Namine was talking with Merlin in one of the corners. He grabbed something out of his floating carpet bag and gave it to her. A white coat also appeared on her shoulders with a blue and black plaid trim and a hood with a yellow stripe. Kairi had been talking with Aerith, and Tifa sat with Cloud. Most everything was done, so most of their friends and a few civilians were milling about.

"Do you think Kairi will be alright?" Riku asked Namine, who had wandered over to him.

"I'm sure she will. She's tough. Besides, her body language isn't so tense anymore. I think having a solid plan really helped calm her nerves." Namine replied.

"Yeah. Hey, I've been meaning to ask, where did you learn magic? I thought most of your powers were memory based."

"They are, but while I was putting Sora's memories back together, I kinda learned some magic theory. I don't have much practice with it, but I can do one or two spells, and Merlin agreed to help if I need it."

Riku was relieved to hear that Namine was able to defend herself. He knew he couldn't always be there for her, although he was going to try. After all, he had a promise to keep. He hadn't told her yet about how his replica had sacrificed himself for her. He knew the replica was completely devoted to her, but he had no idea how she felt about him. Riku thought knowing that the replica had returned would have reminded her of all the suffering she had caused him. If keeping his sacrifice a secret would protect her from unnecessary sadness, so be it.

Besides, she was a dear friend. They had been each other's support during that crazy year. It had been she who told him it was okay to utilize the darkness, that it wasn't as evil as they had once thought. Her courage and determination had astounded him. She truly was a wonder.

All of a sudden, the lanterns started to glow an eerie green, and started to burn with a lime green flame. The air grew chill, and heartless began spawning out of nowhere. Riku took a defensive stance in front of Namine, who brought out a white mage's staff with a crest of a heart and a moon on the end. Merlin must have come up with it for her. Everyone called out their weapons and had begun attacking the tiny intruders. It wasn't long until they were all vanquished and the paper lanterns Merlin had put up were completely extinguished.

In the middle of the dance floor, a dark corridor appeared. There was only one villain Riku knew who was this dramatic: Maleficent.

As if right on cue, the self-proclaimed mistress of all evil appeared from the dark corridor, followed closely behind by her henchman, Pete. The corridor closed and Maleficent gave a wicked smile. From behind, Riku could hear just about everyone readying their weapons. What was she thinking, coming back to Radiant Gardens?

"What are you doing here, Maleficent?" Riku nearly snarled.

"Why Riku, you wouldn't greet an old friend like that, would you?"

"You're no friend of mine."

"Perhaps, but you may still prove useful yet. I think you and your little friends may be on the trail to finding something that I need."

"I'd rather be subject to Ansem again than help you." Riku's grip on Braveheart tightened.

"I don't know about that, kiddo. When we get ahold of that black box, it'll be all over for you. Maleficent has some big ideas about what to do with that book of prophecies!" Pete tried to act tough.

"Fool, say no more." Maleficent glared at her companion.

"Book of prophecies?" Namine perked up.

"Whatever it is you want, you aren't going to get it!" Kairi jumped alongside Riku. "Do you really think you can take all of us at once?"

"Perhaps you are right, in that regard. I will have to change that. You and the other girl don't stand much of a chance against me. The boy, however- he will need some alteration." Maleficent drew up her arms and engulfed herself in green flames.

"Ngh!" Riku grabbed at his chest.

"Riku!" Kairi and Namine called out, with the latter placing a protective barrier around the three of them, and then grabbing the keyblade master as he lost his footing.

"What did you do to me?" he spat.

"I simply placed a bar over your advanced power. It's a curse. You will gain it back in time; but will you get it soon enough, I wonder?" Maleficent smirked. "Do not disappoint me, boy. Come, fool. We should leave before you decide to speak again."

Pete had the look of a child who had just been disciplined as he made his way quickly into the dark corridor on the coattails of his employer. Kairi almost felt sorry for the guy; he didn't seem to be purely evil. Perhaps there could come a day when he could be pointed back in the right direction. Until then, they'd just have to do their best against him. But what did he mean by Book of Prophecies? Was that what they were after?

With the witch gone and the lanterns burned, all that remained were the magic orbs of light that Merlin had summoned. It was still a site to see, but the mood had been incredibly dampened by the appearance of the foul fairy. She was up to something no good again, and it felt like they had even less clue about what she wanted than last time.

"Well dang. I had Angelo locked, loaded and ready to go. She was no fun." A voice came from behind the group.

Leon's eyes opened wide as he turned around to see a woman with dark black hair and caramel highlights. She was wearing a short, white dress and a dog was jumping off the crossbow she had attached to her arm. She made her way easily into the center of the group, stopping right beside Leon and taking him by the shoulders.

"It seems you forgot to mention you changed names. People looked at me like I was crazy when I started asking around for a 'Squall'. Next time we get separated, keep what you can the same. Although I've gotta say, the hair growth is looking pretty good on you." the woman smiled.

WIthout another word, Leon took her into his arms and held her tightly. Namine released the barrier, and Riku attempted to stand on his own. When he was still shaky, he placed his arm around her for support, filling his cheeks with a slight blush. He motioned for her to help him head towards the leader of the Hollow Bastion restoration committee, so as to learn about who this woman was and how she arrived.

"Rinoa….I got your letter. If you knew where I was, why didn't you come sooner? I missed you." Leon released the woman, looking into her eyes.

"I didn't know where you were. I used our connection and my magic to send the letter on. I had no idea if you even got it. I'm glad you did, though. Once the letter was sent, I was able to try and follow its path." She smiled. "It certainly has been too long."

"Leon, who is this?" Kairi asked, suddenly incredibly curious.

"Guys, I want you to meet Rinoa. She is….someone very important to me. I haven't seen her since our world fell to the heartless. Like you guys and Sora, I've been waiting for her to come home."

"How long has it even been? What, 10 years? We've lost so much time." Rinoa sighed. "And yet, I never lost hope. Well, except for maybe that one time, and the other time we ended up on that crazy snow world, huh Angelo? But then we got some lemon shaved ice from that Yeti and everything was somehow better." The woman winked at the dog.

"Ten years? You've got to be kidding me! How did the anxiety not rip you apart?" Kairi gasped.

"It took a lot of patience, a lot of hope, a few snow cones and a great travelling companion for me. Are you looking for someone, too?" She asked.

"Yeah. His name is Sora. He has spiky brown hair, blue eyes and trusts entirely too easily. I don't suppose you've seen him?"

"Sorry, can't say that I have. But he must be important to you, if someone as young as you is trying to find him. I wish you all the luck in the world." Rinoa smiled.

"He is important to me. The most important thing. I just wish I had some magic like you to be able to send letters." Kairi's shoulders fell a little.

"It's not about the letters or the time you're apart. Quite the opposite. If you make use of what time you have, then you can go nearly a lifetime without seeing each other and you'll still be connected." Rinoa placed a hand on Kairi's shoulder.

"You're right. Thank you. I just feel terrible for always needing to wait on him." Kairi admitted.

"Then let me see if I can't help you out. I'm a sorceress and have a pretty neat little trick I can teach you. Since your friend here just got nerfed, it's the least I can do." Rinoa smiled.

She handed Kairi a small bracelet that had a yellow gem center and some silver edging.

"What is it?" Kairi asked.

"It's a summon charm. I happened to meet a guy who was grateful for the help and offered me this. He said if I ever ran into trouble, I could use the charm to call on one of his friends for help." Rinoa explained.

"Thank you so much!" Kairi placed the charm in her bag and turned to return to Riku and Namine.

"They're cute, but I can sense they have a long journey ahead of them." Rinoa mumbled.

"They''ll be alright." Leon pulled her into a his arms as the lights came back on in the town square. "They've got good hearts."

Riku was gaining the strength back to stand under his own power as Kairi returned and the lights brightened. Namine held her hands out to his side, in case he needed to be caught again. Riku and Kairi smiled at each other as he gave Namine a soft thank you. He could tell that a weight had been lifted off of Kairi's shoulders. She had a bit of a spring in her step, and the smile came to her face much more easily. He was glad that she had been able to find someone who could give her real world experience in waiting for a loved one's return.

"Well, you did suggest one or two dances. Let's try to enjoy it. Are you going to be alright, Riku?" Kairi spoke.

"I'll be fine. I just need to sit down for a couple of minutes. Sorry I won't be as much help to you both as I thought I would be. That wicked witch is going to feel the edge of my keyblade next time I see her." Riku's eyebrows furled.

"Yeah. She'll get no mercy from us!" Kairi pumped her arm. "Wonder what Pete meant when he mentioned the book of prophecies, though."

"I swear I've heard of it somewhere before, but I can't say where or when." Namine admitted.

"Really? Then maybe Sora knows something about it! Or the king, or Master Yen Sid?" Kairi paused. "Is Sora close enough to him that you could have seen into his memories?"

"Yes, although it would take enormous effort, time and some sea salt ice cream. But I try not to pry into other people's memories without consent or dire need. I'll give him a call in a couple of minutes and see what he has to say. I didn't get that option last time."

"Last time? What do you mean?" Kairi asked.

"It's not surprising you don't know what I'm talking about- you were all dead." Namine gave a little smile. "I just mean that last time I had to invasively look into someone's memory was when I was trying to get in contact with Lingering Will at the Keyblade Graveyard. Come to think of it, that's probably where I heard about the book of prophecies. Yen Sid is old enough to have been around when it was new, so that's probably where I heard about it."

"I had no idea. Then it was you who saved everyone." Riku looked in awe. "Thank you. We owe our lives to you."

"Everyone was fighting so hard and doing their best. I wanted to do what I could, too." Namine blushed.

"Even so, thank you. Really." Riku placed a hand on Namine's shoulder.

"That's our girl!" Kairi smiled. "Okay, Riku. I get the first dance after you've sat down for a minute."

"I should be fine to go now. Looks like they're playing the first song now."

As the two left for the dance floor, Namine found a chair and was watching all of the people begin to gather. Since the party had only begun, there weren't too many other couples on the dance floor besides Leon and Rinoa and Riku and Kairi. But there was plenty of mingling going about and a table of food that appeared on one end of the square. The night seemed pretty wonderful.

Namine pulled out her Gummi phone and went to dial Master Yen Sid; except she realized she didn't have a number for him. He probably didn't have one, Namine thought. He didn't seem to be the kind to need a phone, not with his phenomenal magic power. She tried Mickey after that, but still no response either. Maybe they were in Atlantica? She'd try again later.

One song turned to two, and two to four. The next thing Namine knew, it had been several songs. Riku and Kairi hadn't spent the whole time dancing. They mingled with the Hollow Bastion restoration committee, ate some food and went around having a good time. Namine had known all about the town, but only from afar. She jumped a bit when she heard a familiar voice.

"This is a lovely party they put together, isn't it?"

"Ansem" Namine breathed.

She still didn't know if she could trust him. He was the one responsible for helping Riku change back to normal after getting a Xehanort face swap, and he did seem truly sorry for all the times he had mistreated the nobodies. He had even been instrumental in placing herself and Roxas into replica bodies. But she had a hard time forgetting all of the pain and abuse he had put her through, even to the point of trying to have her killed. When she woke up, the first sight had been sheer terror. She had awoken to a room of people who had, at one point, been her captors and abusers. Seeing Riku waiting for her made everything better he had that effect on her. Even just being around him calmed her nerves.

"Yes, everything is beautiful and everyone seems to be having fun." Namine replied, not looking at him.

"I understand if you're still angry at what I did to you. But I hope that you will understand that I truly am sorry, and will spend the rest of my life trying to make it up to you and Roxas. I wish to be completely atoned for everything I've done in the name of science." Ansem admitted.

"I'd like to move past it, too. Holding it all in won't help anyone. I just didn't expect to see you."

"Of course. why don't you go out and join them?" Ansem asked.

"This isn't a world in really apart of. I know all of these faces, but they don't know me."

"Then you should get to know them, my dear. You never know, maybe you have more in common with them than you think. It's just as true here as it is everywhere else. Don't ever let fear stop you."

With that, Ansem left and Riku came to join Namine.

"Hey, what'd the old man have to say?" Riku asked.

"Nothing I haven't tried telling myself." Namine smiled.

"Well, if you're done talking, would you like to come join me in a dance? Its nearly the last of the night." Riku held out his hand.

"I'd love to." Namine took it and followed the silver haired man out to the now-crowded dance floor.

Kairi smiled as she saw Riku and Namine dancing. They seemed to be chatting amicably, and the smile on Namine's face was downright radiant. There was something about the way that he looked at her; Kairi couldn't quite place her finger on it, but she was certain there was something to it. That would have to be a future project to investigate. Riku was holding her close, almost as if he were cradling her. Kairi wondered if he were afraid she would break. That wasn't bound to happen, but It made Kairi chuckle anyway.

"Hey, Aerith suggested I come by and make sure you're alright. She said Sora was missing." Cloud sat next to Kairi. "If you ask me, the kid is probably helping someone. Find someone in trouble, and he won't be far behind."

"You're right." Kairi smiled. "He does tend to gravitate towards trouble. I'll remember that."

"By the way. I've been looking for someone, too. If you happen to run into a guy named Zack, send him my way, would you?"

"Of course. Thank you."

"Don't mention it."

The two sat in silence, watching the dancers as the song finished and Riku and Namine returned to Kairi.

"Well, if you're ready to go, we should be all set." Riku helped Kairi up.

"Yeah. Let's get going." Kairi smiled.

After they made their farewells, the three jumped in the gummi ship and sailed away. Kairi was piloting, despite Riku's resistance. She didn't really know where they were headed, but the direction just _felt_ right. It wasn't long before they touched down and exited the ship. A swirl of magic surrounded each of them, leaving a warm feeling in their bones.

"Wow Kairi, you're so cute!" Namine gasped, looking down at her companions.

"How did you guys get so big?" Kairi asked.

She looked at herself in the water and felt no different, although her reflection was a little red-hued otter. "What the heck?"

"It's a form change. The world helps us blend in with the locals so as not to cause suspicion and keep the world order safe. Just don't allude that we're from somewhere else, and we'll be fine." Riku tried staring down into the water to figure out his form, but the water around him was clouded with algae and he had a hard time looking down without getting a face full of water. "What am I?"

"It looks like you're an alligator….or is it a crocodile? I can never remember the difference." Kairi answered. "And you're some kind of bird, Namine. A heron, I think? I seem to remember reading a book about them for school once."

"Well, this may take some getting used to. I can probably only use magic if I fly about. While we're here, I'm going to have to be long range attacks only. I'll be your eyes in the sky." Namine decided.

"Speaking of which, it looks like we have some company." Kairi called out her keyblade, which had conveniently shrunken down to a more appropriate size. "Let's go, team!"


	2. Lottie ex machina

Okay, so I was originally planning on doing 10,000 words per chapter (almost like last time) but I felt like it drug on more than I wanted it to, and I was a little too lazy to write like Dickens. Plus, it takes forever to get through, so the next chapters are going to be shorter. I don't think anyone is going to mind, lol. I'm also going to be adding more to 'The Bet' soon, as per a review I got for another arc in the story, so keep an eye out for that! Thanks for all the support!

Hopping on sora's shoulder, Naveen pointed confidently to the door. "to Lawrence!"

Sora tried opening the door, but found it was locked. He tried again, but it wouldn't budge. He couldn't imagine why it would be, as Doctor Facilier had asked him to watch the frog. What was his long game? And couldn't his friends have frog at a cafe?

Before Sora could ask Naveen anything, there was a major chill in the air. All of the sweat that had gathered on Sora's forehead and back seemed to turn to ice, and the candles in the room flickered, as if a giant gust of air had blown past them. Although nothing looked different, the feeling in the room was decidedly much darker. _Something_ had entered the cottage, and it wasn't anything friendly. Looking around, Sora couldn't see much, unless it was right by one of the many colorful candles. Were his eyes tricking him, or did one of the shadows on the wall just move?

Without any warning, Naveen started floating by his foot, speeding back to the small box on the table. He cried out in fear. "Hey, Sora! Help me!"

"I'm coming!" Sora called. "If only I could see what's got you."

"It is the shadows! I don't know how he does it, but that shadow man can somehow control them. You've got to find a way to get rid of them!" Naveen shouted out before he was violently thrown back into the small box and it was locked tight.

Sora looked around the room for anything he could use to fight. The room was incredibly tiny for his fighting style. There was no way he was going to be able to hack and slash his way out of this one. Size notwithstanding, he didn't have a clear target. Shadow heartless and actual shadows were two completely different things. Sora racked his brain. The only time he had seen a sentient shadow was back on Captain Hook's pirate ship. Sora remembered being so surprised that he was being required to fight his own shadow. But that one was corporeal.

Then an idea came to him. Once in a dream, a voice had said that if you increased the amount of light in an area, you'd increase the shadows. Perhaps the only thing Sora had to do was extinguish the light in the cottage. He had no idea what would happen after that, so he knew he'd have to work fast and grab the box before exiting himself. Keeping an eye on the box, started using the blizzard spell to put out the candle. One, two, three sets of candles went dark as his spell swept around the cottage room.

_Not fast enough!_ Sora thought to himself.

Seeing a shadow turn its attention to the box, Sora glared. There wasn't any way that he was going to let some shadows steal away his new friend. Thinking quickly, he used a flowmotion dash over to the table, grabbing the box seconds before the shadow could get at it. He curled the box under his arm while making a mad dash for the door. He could feel the shadows pulling at his own shadow. Sora shot out more blizzard spells, even though it created light as he did so.

The door was so close!

A large amount of hands made their way to Sora, and he felt his feet being pulled out from his feet. He tried swatting at the air, but to no avail. He fought with everything he had to keep from being picked up, just as Naveen had been. Was that the way these shadows picked every one up?

"Ugh! I'm so over trying to play defensive!" Sora growled.

He began shooting out fire spells to the other side of the room, despite the damage that the little cottage. He felt bad for destroying the little room, but it seemed to be working. With each shot, the shades shrunk back. The time to move was now. With the light coming from the flames, the shadows would no doubt get stronger. With one more gigantic leap, he made it to the front door.

"Hold on Naveen, I'll clear the way." Sora once again pulled out his keyblade, unlocking the door with a small _click_.

Sora burst out from the cottage, with the shadows hot on his heels. He barely noticed Lawrence sitting outside on the front porch, surprised at their sudden appearance. Lawrence stood up and tried to block their way, using his large body as a shield. He had taken his jacket and gloves off, and was sweating profusely. Sora simply pushed past him and jumped to the top of a tree, where the leaves hid his shadow and ultimately kept him from being dragged away against his will. Seeing the building begging to burn, he shot off a couple of water spells, one of which hit Lawrence into the shadows before dousing some flames.

"What on earth is going on?" Lawrence got up and took a quick look inside to where the box should have been sitting. "Boy! You have to return that box right away!"

"And why should I? You guys are up to no good!" Sora stuck out his tongue.

"Because! If you don't it'll be both of our necks!" Lawrence headed towards the tree.

He stopped short, as the shadows burst open the cottage roof, spilling out in droves. Sora hesitated. He had no idea how he was going to get out of this mess. His salvation came in the form of a car pulling up to the cottage. Out stepped a large man in a white suit and the girl from the cafe earlier. Their faces dropped in shock, as the small building had been nearly consumed in flames. Lawrence's face went pale white. Sora wondered how he was going to discuss that one. He couldn't help but feel a little responsible.

As the girl came closer, the shadows dispersed, probably so as not to cause a ruckus. Seeing the threat leaving, Sora considered getting down and trying to explain. What would he say, though? He doubted they knew about the evil magic that had been covering their properties.

The larger man had run inside, presumably to call someone to douse the flames. In just a few minutes, Sora could hear a distant wailing of firetrucks in the distance. They'd be able to get it taken care of. His legs were getting a little sore from staying in the same position, but it wasn't quite time to leave.

"Are you the woman of the house?" Lawrence tried to smile.

"What happened here?" Lottie turned to the valet.

"It was a nasty accident. Someone left the oven on, and it ended up exploding somehow. I'm just glad to report that no one was in the cottage at the time." Lawrence lied.

"And you are…?" Lottie looked disgusted at the little man.

"My apologies, dearest woman. I am Lawrence. My employer is Prince Naveen of Maldonia. I assume you've heard of him?"

Lottie gave a squeal of delight, and turned to the man in the white suit, who was approaching the two. "Daddy! Did you hear him? This man works for Prince Naveen!" Lottie turned back to Lawrence. "Where is he, anyway? I wanted to give him a tour."

"Ah, he sends his regards, but he was, ah, swamped with some royal duties. He has promised to be in attendance to your party tonight." Lawrence was breaking a sweat, but Sora didn't know if it were from stress or the heat.

"It makes sense. Lottie, why don't you come away from there. I don't want you to singe anything on the flames. Ah, there's the firefighters right now. Let's let the men do their work" The man grabbed his daughter by the shoulders and gently led her away from the burning wreck. "Do you know what happened here?"

"Accident involving the stove, I'm afraid. Tragic, really, but there isn't anything we can do about it now. Luckily no one was harmed." Lawrence gave a crooked smile.

"That is a shame. It was a real piece of history. My father told me it used to be the home of some of the slaves my family owned. We- ah, have moved on to more progressive times, but sometimes a physical reminder is good to have to show us how far we've come." Lottie's dad have a small sigh. "Say, Lawrence, why don't we give you the tour instead?"

Lawrence looked in Sora's direction and excused himself, giving some reason about not being able to join them. When Lottie and her dad went inside, he returned to the tree. He was very obviously _not_ happy with the turn of events.

"I thought you wanted to help, boy. What was that all about?" Lawrence shook a finger angrily. None of the firefighters seemed to pay any attention to the large man. Upon further inspection, Sora saw a collection of shadows, almost like a shield behind Lawrence, as if it kept the firefighters from seeing him. "Come down this instant."

"Why should I trust you?" Sora called.

"Because I have a personal stake in this. Like I said, if we mess up, it'll be both of our necks. Can't you talk like a human, or must you persist on being a monkey?"

"Only if we can go somewhere with more people, and you keep those shadows from attacking. Do I have your word?" Sora called.

"I don't control the shadows. You'd have to ask them." Lawrence pointed to his shade shield.

The shadows reluctantly dropped back, showing a degree of willingness to work. Sora also reluctantly moved down the tree, keeping the box containing Naveen close to his body. When he got to the ground, he called out his keyblade and slowly made his way further into the dense trees that lined the driveway.

"Now listen to me. The frog you met in the box is indeed the prince of Maldonia, but he has been cut off. His parents are tired of his wasting time and refusal to settle down. We are expected to find him an American bride- they seem to be all the rage these days. I've worked out a deal with Doctor Facilier to do just that, but we need him safe." Lawrence explained.

"I don't know. I mean, why would he refer to Naveen as the main ingredient, then? And what about his friends who are somehow starving? It doesn't add up." Sora questioned.

"I'll be taking his spot for the party tonight. I don't really understand American quips, but that ingredient remark was probably one of them. After tonight, he probably will use some of the money out of the marriage to send his friends home."

"Where is he now?"

"I don't know, maybe preparing for tonight?"

"Can we really trust him?" Sora hesitantly asked.

"I know it seems like you can't, but if nothing else, trust me. I have both of our interests in mind." Lawrence gave a sly smile.

"I think I'll just hold on to him for now." Sora held onto the box.

"And how are you going to help him return to his human shape?" Lawrence reached for the box.

"That didn't sound like part of the plan." Sora admitted. "The more I hear about this plan, the less I like it. I'm going to see this Doctor Facilier myself."

It didn't take long, however, as the shadows moved from Lawrence to a central point behind Sora. The level of darkness that tinged the air seemed to multiply, just as it had before he was attacked in the cottage.

"Care to explain what happened here, Lawrence?" Doctor Facilier growled.

"It was the boy. He doesn't seem to understand exactly what he has gotten himself into." Lawrence pointed to Sora, visibly shaking and stuttering.

"All I do is ask for help, and this is how you repay me? I don't believe that box belongs to in your possession. Give it back and I won't call the cops."

"And I believe I need to put a stop to whatever it is you're doing." Sora took a defensive stance. "It sounds like you have a pretty complicated and evil scheme here. I'm going to stop you."

"I didn't want to have to call on my friends this early, but it seems I misjudged how naive you were, boy." Doctor Facilier gave a wave of his hand and Sora was caught up in the air.

He threw down the box, which broke on impact. Out came a confused Naveen. Sora yelled for him to run as quickly as he could, which he did. As Naveen frantically hopped away, he stuck to the shadows, so he couldn't be trapped again. Sora found he couldn't move much, but he was able to shoot a couple of lightning spells to aid the frog prince in his getaway.

"Don't just stand there, go after him!" Doctor Facilier commanded Lawrence.

The stout man began running after the frog until he heard a female voice calling for him. It was Lottie. She sure knew when to come and when to go. Sora wondered if she had seen them from the window and decided to follow after. Lawrence stood there, conflicted. He had a face to keep up for Lottie and her dad. But at the same time, Doctor Facilier had promised that he'd be able to be the man he always wanted to be. Powerful. Wanted. Rich. Surely it was worth a little inconvenience.

When Doctor Facilier saw that Lawrence was going to answer Lottie's call, he grabbed his cane and muttered about what a punishment Lawrence was going to get later. In the meantime, Sora was still floating in the air. Some of the shadows had gone off to follow Naveen. Sora hoped he had managed to get away.

"As for you, boy, I've had it with you. I thought you would do as I asked, but I see I didn't quite read you right. So I'm going to send you to a place where you won't ever come back. Have a nice trip, I hear it's real _lively_ over there." Doctor Facilier have a wicked smile, and Sora was covered in darkness, shooting off into the distance.

**Kairi**

The heartless were simple enough to send off, although it took Kairi and Namine a little while to get used to their new forms. Since Kairi was so little, she had been able to maneuver in between logs, trees and algae filled waterways in order to help get rid of the heartless.

What Riku lacked in finesse, he made up for in brute strength. His tail had accidentally eliminated more heartless than he thought at first, and his keyblade worked better when it was lodged in his mouth than when he held it in his claws. He found he was even more graceful underwater, as his large form was not as flexible as he was used to being.

Namine had a hard time getting her flight pattern down, as many of the trees seemed to hang down to the water's edge. She could occasionally stand and attack, but it made using her staff difficult. She had to send it away and call it back in order to change how she held it. She was glad that riku and Kairi had gotten used to their forms more quickly, as they had saved her on several occasions in this one battle. She was almost glad she didn't know thunder, as that would have taken some pretty accurate aim, so as not to shock everyone in the water.

The moon was out and glowing more brightly than Kairi had seen in a while. It was large and full, with little stars peeking out from behind the clouds. Perhaps it was going to rain tonight. Kairi was glad they were able to fend off some heartless; maybe that's why her heart had led them there. But so far, there had been no trace of Sora.

As the night grew on, riku could see everything just fine. It had been a long time since he blindfolded himself, and had since losing his ability to move around in the dark. It must have been the form change. Riku couldn't help but give a small chuckle as he watched Kairi and Namine trying to move around the water, and crashing into trees.

"Hey, why don't you guys come climb on my back? I can see just fine in the dark, and it looks like you guys can't."

"Okay. Where are you?" Namine moved a long leg around, hoping to bump into him.

"I'll come to you, hold on."

Riku swam easily towards the heron and gently tapped on one leg. She steadily climbed on, as riku called out for Kairi. They didn't have to wait long to find her though, as they could hear a scream coming from a little ways away. It was Kairi for sure.

Kairi swam as fast as her little otter limbs would take her. She eventually found her way into the stump of a tree, where she climbed to the top and hollered for help. The alligators surrounded her, looking for a light snack. She knew they were good swimmers and thanked her lucky stars she had done her fair share of swimming on the island.

Only a few minutes later, Kairi could hear the roaring of an alligator and several splashing noises in the water. Namine was flying in circles up ahead, casting fire spells very carefully so as not to burn large portions of the vegetation around them.

Finally, the coast was clear.

"Thanks, guys! I could have sworn that gator was Riku. These little otter eyes can't see much, unfortunately." Kairi found her way onto Riku's back.

The clouds had fully covered the moon and rain was slowly beginning to fall. Riku swam his way over underneath the underbrush of a tree so as to keep them as dry as possible. Out in the water, the alligators were lazily drifting around, keeping an eye on our three heroes as well as on the lookout for any food that might have been blind enough to wander into their territory.

"What now? I don't think Sora is going to be in this swamp, and it doesn't appear to be any other animal who can point us in the right direction. Do you think those gators would be willing to talk?" Kairi asked, pulling her tiny knees to her chest.

"Maybe it'd be best to wait until morning, when there's more light and we can make heads or tails of where we're going. If our form change is made up of animals, then there has to be someone we can talk to."

Namine sat down on Riku's back, curling her long neck so that her head rested on her wing. "I can do some flying tomorrow and scout out the area a bit. Maybe there's more to this world than a bayou."

"I suppose you're right. It has been a long day." Kairi curled up beside her.

They didn't get much time to sleep, however, as the rain started to fall harder and the water began churning. The alligators had become excited about something, snapping at each other. There were a couple of screams and the sound of twigs breaking. Riku wondered if the other alligators had found something to hunt, or if coincidence had smiled on them.

"Lets go check it out." Riku began swimming, hearing a soft sigh from both Namine and Kairi. He would have loved to have given them a break, as it seemed they weren't used to the long days, but if someone was in trouble, it was their responsibility to help.

Not only were there alligators swarming together, but heartless of all sorts also surrounded one tree stump in particular. Riku noticed a few bits of rubber and string hanging out of the top.

"What's the plan _now_ your majesty?" A sarcastic voice came from out of the log.

"You think I planned for this to happen? We wouldn't even be here if you hadn't lied about being a princess!" another voice argued.

"Well it certainly wasn't on the fine print. You offered me the money I need to get my restaurant. Haven't you ever been kept from anything you want?" The first voice argued back.

"Hello? _Prince_ of Maldonia? I wasn't exactly missing much in my life before now." The second voice quipped.

The alligators had all but given up, hoping to find food elsewhere. As the contention grew between the two, however, more and more heartless were drawn to the stump. The air few thick with flying heartless and a type Riku had never seen, adept to swimming in the water it wouldn't be long now before they would attack.

Riku, Kairi and Namine got into position and began picking them off, one by one. Namine dealt with mostly the heartless in the sky while Riku swam beneath the water to finish off those hoping to get through the bottom of the stump. Kairi kept a lookout at the entrance of the stump where the voices were coming from. She kept away both fliers and swimmers as they tried to make a decisive move.

The bickering stopped long enough for two very small frogs to look out in shock as one of the heartless nearly managed to get a hit in. Kairi jumped to destroy it, and then caught the edge of the stump.

"Now, if you two would calm down for a minute, we can have a civil conversation without having to worry about these guys."

The frogs stared in horror, as from behind Kairi a huge shadow loomed, filling the sight from the hole in the stump. They clung to each other and shut their eyes, expecting the worst.

"Riku, you're scaring them." Kairi batted a small paw at her friend.

"Oh, sorry!" The shadow fell and slowly one of the frogs opened an eye.

"You mean, he's with you?"

"Yeah, sorry about that." Namine landed near riku, perched on a log. The small frog that had spoken shielded herself, while the other opened one eye.

"Were you the ones who got rid of those creatures?" He asked.

The other frog slowly opened her eyes again, slowly standing up from her shielded position. Kairi nodded and extended a paw towards the two.

"I'm sorry about that. You see, gators and herons are known to eat frogs. Just about anything bigger than a frog will eat it round here."

"You have our word that no one will be eating anyone." Kairi smiled and climbed down from the log.

"That's a relief." The frogs tentatively stepped out of the log.

"My name is Kairi, and this is Riku and Namine." The otter smiled.

"Nice to meet y'all. My name is Tiana and this good-for-nothing is Naveen." The formal frog rolled her eyes.

"That's _prince_ naveen, to you." The male frog snapped back at her. "But you may call me whatever you like."

Naveen kissed Kairi's paw and a little wink. The princess of heart seemed a little uncomfortable, but took the gesture with grace. The rain slowed a bit, as more of the sky opened up to reveal stars poking through. The water in the swamp was calming down, and frogs and bugs started back up their night song. Kairi never realized how loud someplace as seemingly empty as this would be. Fireflies buzzed lazily around.

Riku could feel a presence behind them as the night breeze brought some much-needed relief to the heat of the day. Eyes bore into the back of his neck. If he were human, he'd probably be getting goosebumps right about now. He couldn't sense darkness coming from whomever was watching them, but there was no telling what could befall them in such a strange place.

"Once we are human again, the very first thing I am going to do is see that I never have to work with you again. And then, I will go and celebrate Mardi Gras all night long. The whole city will be my playground!" Naveen began talking to himself.

"Not before you hold up your end of the bargain and help me get my restaurant." Tiana chided.

"You guys argue a lot for friends. But I hate to tell you that your arguing the thing attracting the heartless. Perhaps we can call it a truce for now." Namine suggested.

The frogs huffed. "Fine"

"Did one of y'all say Mardi Gras?" A voice came from behind.

"Why of courrrrrr….." naveen began. "Should I be scared, or is this fellow with you?"

Kairi, Riku and Namine looked at each other and shrugged. It was a giant alligator holding a small didn't look as intimidating as the other alligators, and it seemed he was more interested in conversation than a snack. He had a giddy air about him, and was anticipating their answer.

"Oh, where did those manners get to? The name is Louis, trumpeter extraordinaire." With his introduction he played a few notes on his instrument and gave them a toothy smile.

Naveen tapped his feet to the music and then hopped onto the gator's head.

"You are very good, do you know that?" Naveen looked upside down at the gator. "When I am human again, you may play for me whenever I am in town."

"Human? Y'all are human? How'd you get to be frogs?" Louis asked.

"Someone had to go and talk to the shadow man." Tiana replied. "I'm Tiana and this is Naveen. Do you happen to know of anyone who could help us?"

"Sure! There's Mama Odie. If anyone can help you, it's her. I know just where to find her!"

As the group made their way through the swamp, Naveen made a small guitar from a twig and spiderweb and was mindlessly plunking on the strings. Louis should have known the swamp perfectly, but Riku had a sinking suspicion that he wasn't as adept at navigation as he had made it seem. Every so often, he could see Louis looking backwards with an unconfident look on his face. It couldn't have been easy to find one person in an entire bayou, but there were other things to attend to. What if Sora had been here after all?

Namine was perched on Riku's back, her long neck laying down around Kairi's small otter form. Both had had a long couple of nights, so the keyblade master took care to swim as smoothly as he could. Admittedly, he was tired too. But he couldn't give up. Kairi's heart had led them here. Both he and Namine felt right about it, too. Whenever he went to a new world, he just kind of happened upon whatever needed his help. He had never traveled just for sightseeing.

Still, if Tiana and Naveen were telling the truth and really had been humans before hand, visiting Mama Odie might pay off after all. If she could change people from animals to humans, maybe she could use whatever magic she had to locate Sora. Would they need a hair? Despite Sora's occasional shedding, Riku didn't think they had any on them.

"Hey Louis, are you sure this is the right way?" Riku tried to ask as casually as he could.

"Pretty sure. You don't see too many 100 year old blind ladies who live in the bayou anymore, although I don't have the numbers right in front of me."

"What do you think about asking for directions?" Came a small voice from Louis' back. It was Tiana.

Naveen's playing stopped.

"Ah yes, let us ask this fern. Surely it will know the way" Naveen grabbed a piece of greenery hanging from the low tree branches.

"That is Spanish moss, and I don't see you with any better ideas." Tiana retorted.

"Not even if I suggested we ask those bugs over there?"

Naveen pointed to a colony of what looked like floating lights. In the daytime they were hard to make out, but Riku could see some of their lights in the shade of the trees. Tiana was dumbfounded, her mouth hanging open slightly. Naveen smugly closed it, with not even a work of comeback from his companion.

"Excuse me! We are looking for some help!" Riku called out.

Upon hearing Riku, one of the lightning bugs perked up and made his way over to the travellers. "And how can Ray be of assistance to y'all?"

"Hi, do you know of someone named Mama Odie?" Tiana had composed herself.

"Mama Odie? As in the little 100 year old blind lady who lives in the bayou? Sure I do! But if y'all are going to see her, you gotta know you're going the wrong way." the firefly gave a small chuckle.

"Are you sure?" Louis asked. "Cuz I remember it being more this way, although the trees look different from before."

"Pretty sure. I've recently helped a dog, hound and pig get over there myself."

"Great! Can you take us, too? We want to be human again." Tiana jumped up.

"Human, huh? Well, why not?" Ray smiled. "I'm Raymond, but you can call me Ray. And this here is the family. Say hello, family!"

"I'm Tiana, this is Naveen and Louis and those three are Riku, Kairi and Namine."

Upon hearing their names, Kairi and Namine began to stir, taking in the light of the strange firefly family. Upon close inspection, the pair could see fireflies of all ages, one even had a walker. They seemed amicable, and were flying in a path just above their heads. From what the pair could gather, the family was going to help them get to Mama Odie's house. That made Kairi excited and nervous. What if Sora were there? What if he weren't?

As if sensing her other's anxiety, Namine patted Kairi's head with her wing, as the otters shoulders were too small for her feathers.

"Sora is making new memories, I can feel it. Unfortunately, without my supplies and ample magic, I can't see what they are. But he's safe."

"Yeah, and we're going to find him soon." Kairi gave a small smile. "Once we do, I'm chaining him to the paopu fruit tree so he won't ever leave again. At least, not without me."

"Glad to see you two are up. Looks like we're done with our detour and are heading over to Mama Odie's now." Riku turned his head around.

"Thanks for carrying us all that way, Riku." Namine responded.

"It's no big deal. How are you guys feeling?"

"Rested and ready for action!" Kairi clamored up to her friend's head.

"Good, because it looks like they are as well!" naveen called out.

Heartless emerged ahead of them, blocking the way.

"Mama Odie isn't too far from here, we'll press on. When you get done, it's just a hop skip and a jump in this direction." Ray called. "I'll keep these folks safe"

"I'll help." Louis bared his teeth and then moved his tail like a propeller, racing through the water.

Thankfully, the bayou had opened up to a clearing and it gave the three a chance to fight without anyone stepping on the other's boundaries. Luckily they were just small fry, Riku found himself thinking, as he watched his friends fight their foes. It was crazy to see just how much each of them had grown. Kairi had always been vivacious and tough, but to see how she handled the keyblade was something else. Her training with Axel had really brought her a good distance.

Or maybe she had always had that power, but lacked the ability to show it. Riku couldn't help but feel a little guilty. He and Sora had claimed their keyblades and fought both the darkness and one another without her, placing her safe on the island, instead of out in the fray where she could do some good work.

Kairi was similarly feeling powerful and accomplished. It hadn't taken her any time to get accustomed to her form change. She still felt like herself, even in her movements. If she had to fight with her eyes shut, she probably wouldn't be able to tell she looked like an otter. In just the short time since this whole keyblade thing started, she could see the change in herself, and was proud of it. She wouldn't be the damsel in distress anymore. She would be ready the next time anyone tried to hold her against her will. Times like her kidnapping in the keyblade graveyard would be firmly buried in the past.

Before Kairi's train of thought had fully passed, the battle was over. Kairi could even see a big treehouse in the distance. It must be where Mama Odie left. On the wind was an air of music, some sort of lively dance number. The sun was high in the sky, and Kairi's spirit felt the same. They were a step closer to finding the most important person to her. As her thoughts turned to Sora, any hope that she had fostered were suddenly catapulted into someplace dark and cold. She hadn't anticipated it, but as she swam closer to Mama Odie's house, her heart seemed to fly in the opposite direction.

_Something must have happened to Sora_ Kairi thought to herself.

It was a different feeling than she had in the keyblade graveyard when they had failed to stop the darkness and were sent to that cold place. It was different than when her heart joined to Sora's and even more distant than when she had been taken by Xehanort and presumed dead by her friends. She could still feel Sora's heart- so he was alive, she could feel it. But he must have found himself somewhere extremely unpleasant and cold.

_Hang in there, Sora _Kairi prayed.


	3. Dug A Little Deeper

Sorry it's taken so long to update! Two in one day, who would have thought! Anyway, hope you guys like it and it's somehow making sense. :)

Sora couldn't remember being somewhere this cold and dark since the time he had been turned into a heartless. His cocoon was stifling- Sora struggled to even catch his next breath. How long had he been here? Last he knew, Doctor Facilier was putting up a fight. Sora groaned, knowing that he had let someone covered in darkness get away. As a keyblade wielder, it was his responsibility to bring light to the darkness and protect the worlds from those who would harm them. And to think he had trusted the conman. Sora slammed his fist against the edge of his dark prison. He had had a bad feeling about the villain, hadn't he? Why didn't he follow it?

Sora closed his eyes and sighed. It made no difference if his eyes were open or shut. He figured he could probably use the power of waking to get out of here, but he was wary. Would it plunge him closer to a place he couldn't return? No, that couldn't happen. Not to him. Not now. He had to make sure that Kairi was safe and back home. He could feel that she was alive. He wondered if she could feel that connection, too.

Giving himself a moment to think, Sora figured that his connection to Kairi must have been there all along. That moment by the door to darkness as he watched her fly back to the destiny islands alone- he wished it had been the last time he and his two best friends had been separated. After he slept in the pod and frantically looked for Riku, he never thought to ask around for her or how she was feeling because he thought she was safe on the island. Never in his wildest dreams did he think Kairi would be kidnapped. What might have happened if he had looked for her with the same fervor he gave to the search for Riku?

As he dwelled on the mistakes he had made and the time he had lost with his princess of heart, little unversed gathered around. The negative emotions he tended summoned them, giving them a feast of energy. They began to noisily cluster around the cocoon that had surrounded our hero, as it slowly grew thinner and thinner. Surely enough, as the darkness that enveloped Sora waned, he could begin to see a little better. There wasn't too much of a difference- he was still in a dark room. But at least he could tell there were enemies around him. Thankfully, unlike Aqua's time in the dark realm, Sora hadn't lost his keyblade just yet. He called it to him and swung it around, beginning to thin the ranks.

Surprisingly enough, Sora could feel himself going into autopilot mode. Each swing came with ease, and his body moved just fine, despite having been stuck in a small area for so long. He didn't know how long he would be stuck here, but knew that if he didn't attack in an effort to conserve energy, he wouldn't be around long enough to use what energy he had. These unversed were not stronger than the usual ones, unlike any of the enemies faced in the realm of darkness. That made Sora wonder- he couldn't have been in the realm of darkness, but he certainly wasn't in the realm of light. Where could he have possibly been?

As the enemies slowly tapered off, Sora could see a small shred of light far off in the distance. If there were any kind of help to be offered, this had to be it. Gliding over to the light, Sora found himself by a small pool, the light being obscured by shadows swirling over the top. The pool seemed to call to Sora, begging him to look, to place a hand in it's shining surface. There almost seemed to be a humming noise coming from it.

Sora carefully placed a finger in the light, hoping something good might come out of it. As he did, a twinge of familiarity washed over him. Upon opening his eyes, he could see a large fountain in the middle of a courtyard. Nostalgia warmed part of his heart, filling in an area that had emptied without him realizing it. Standing by the pool was a dark haired girl, a man with a hat and someone who Sora knew he had seen before. But where?

_The Keyblade graveyard._

That's right. When things looked their most grim, a boy with white hair and a scarf had come to aid him. But who was he? And where did he come from? Did he know these people?

Images began flooding Sora's mind. A virtual army of keyblade wielders, Marluxia, Chirithy- and another Chirithy. Could there be more than one? People with animal masks, a man in an organization cloak. A giant black box and Xehanort's keyblade. These strange sensations came over Sora. There were emotions of all kinds swimming around in Sora's heart. He felt pain and sorrow over everything. The pain seemed to come from more than one source, although he couldn't tell from where. Finally, the last face that flashed before his eyes was that of a young Ventus.

The world turned black, and Sora could feel sweat running down his back. That had to be Ven. It couldn't have been anyone else. There were so many questions swirling through Sora's mind. It was honestly hard to pinpoint any one of them long enough to think about it clearly. If only Sora had someone to talk to about it. Sora had always been like that, though. Anytime he had a problem, Riku or Kairi were always first to know. They had been his listening ears for so long, and then Donald and Goofy after that- that Sora had no idea how to even begin approaching this difficult question.

He didn't have more time to ponder on it, as more enemies began to approach him. Both heartless and unversed made their way towards him, growing in the darkness. Having had his face close to the light gave Sora a disadvantage, as his eyes had become unaccustomed to the current surroundings. He fought the best he could, keeping his torso and head as protected as he knew how. Somewhere in the distance, Sora swore he could hear some sort of laughter. Aggravated, he fought all the more fiercely, hoping to get to the source of it. If he could just solve one puzzle, it would make him a little more relaxed.

Slowly, he became more accustomed to his surroundings, and the enemies backed away from their previous onslaught. Further on, a green light glowed. That could mean only one thing: Maleficent.

She must have been up to her old tricks again. Is that how she mysteriously came back to life after he had destroyed her? She had reappeared with no rhyme or reason. Not to say he wasn't at least somewhat relieved when he learned of her return, as she fought alongside them during the battle of a thousand heartless. Albeit she had only helped for selfish reasons, it had made a huge difference. Still, what had she been planning?

As Sora made his way closer to the green light, it morphed into something curious. It was a stool with a giant wooden wheel attached and a stick on the end coming to a point at the end. What it did was up to anyone's guess. The whole thing was unassuming, except for the point at the end of the stick. More than anything, Sora wanted to touch it. His desire was insatiable, and with every passing moment, the urge became stronger. He could feel himself losing control. Sora's arm raised, bringing his hand closer to the point. Even as a kid, Sora had hated needles. Anytime his mom took him to get his shots, he had to be held. So what had made him want to touch this one now?

It all happened so quickly that Sora didn't have time to register that he had pricked himself. With the one drop of blood that fell from his finger, Sora's energy dropped as well. It was absolutely crippling, to the point that he found himself instantly dropping down. He tried to glide away from the wheel, but he merely jumped instead. It wasn't even his high jump, either.

Sora slumped down, exhausted from the morning's antics, the fights with the unversed and whatever had happened to him when he pricked his finger. The last thing he saw before falling unconscious was a green light, and then a stone floor.

**Kairi**

Kairi had no idea what to expect upon entering Mama Odie's home. She knew the woman was very, very old. The only old people she knew of didn't do much besides teach and share stories of their childhoods with the youth on the islands. The only exceptions were Merlin and Master Yen Sid, but they still didn't do much. Maybe it was a magic sort of thing. Magic didn't work on the islands the way it did on other worlds. Cure didn't work, and other spells were greatly reduced in power.

"Namine, were you able to get a hold of Master Yen Sid about that book of prophecies?" kairi asked, looking up to the sky.

"No, I don't know if he even has a phone. Do you?" she replied.

"I hadn't even thought of that. Perhaps we can make an effort to go visit him next." Kairi suggested.

"Did Mickey answer?" Riku joined in.

"No, I figured we'd try again later. He was probably busy." Namine confirmed.

"Good thinking. Riku looked towards the odd looking home. "After you, ladies."

As far as they could tell, the home was empty. There were lit candles everywhere, and a giant bathtub sat on their right. It was filled with some red liquid, and it smelled absolutely inside of the house was very comfy- fitted with furniture and books. Kairi wondered what kind of person this Mama Odie was. It seemed it wouldn't be long until they would meet. From where they were, they could hear some stomping on the roof. That had to be where everyone was. Looking up, Kairi could see the mast of the ship with a crow's nest that had been attached to a pulley system. It seemed they could take that to get to the roof.

"I don't think I'll be able to fit, so I'll pull the crank for you guys. Hop on up." Riku stood by the pulley.

"Thanks, Riku." Kairi nodded and hustled over.

As the two made their way up, they could see Tiana and an older woman singing a song about digging, standing under the reflection of the sun through a multitude of colored glass bottles. It was one of the most beautiful sights Kairi had ever seen. The different shades shined so brightly amidst the shade of the low-hanging trees around them. Behind the women was one other frog- Prince Naveen. He had a soft look of respect towards Tiana. What could have changed him so entirely? Before they left, it seemed that neither Naveen nor Tiana were able to stand to be in one another's presence. Now his look was filled with a gentleness and- was that _affection_?

"What's going on, Naveen?" Kairi tapped the frog on his shoulder and whispered.

"I may have been wrong about a few things." he whispered back.

"Such as?" Kairi asked.

"How one in my position should be acting towards such a wonderful person."

Mama Odie must have cast a pretty potent spell.

Sensing Kairi's confusion, Naveen turned to speak to the otter. In the background, the older woman and Tiana had finished singing, and it seemed that something she had said disappointed everyone. With a sigh, the person who must have been Mama Odie knelt down and began speaking with the frog.

"You must be confused. I know that Tiana and I were not exactly on first name basis before seeing Mama Odie. While I hate to admit it, I know I caused most of that. You see, when we got here, we began talking to Mama Odie about what we wanted and why. When I was turned into a frog, I thought Tiana was a princess- literally. Had she been, our kiss would have caused me to revert to my human self. But since she only told me she was in order to get the money she needed for her restaurant, the spell turned her into a frog and not the other way around. We were being chased by the shadows and ended up here.

If I am honest, I really admired her tenacity, but I couldn't stand how much of a stick in the mud she was. My whole life has been nothing short of one great big party. Upon learning of her family and past because of Mama Odie gave me an understanding of her that I'd never had. I grew up with everything. She had to work for even just the basics of life." Naveen confessed. "That changed me. I want her to be happy, for once in her life."

Namine a perplexed look. "That was a pretty quick turnaround. Just this morning you two were bickering like an old couple. Now she's dear?"

"You must understand, I am now in her position. My parents have cut me off. The only way to get back in their good graces is to either get a job or get married. I still think Tiana works too hard, but at least now I can appreciate her determination. She has helped me a little bit. I plan to return the favor."

"And what favor is that, if you don't mind me asking?" Tiana joined the conversation, a slightly sarcastic tone in her voice.

"Ah, just who I meant to talk to. Come come, we have a journey to make in order to get back to New Orleans. On the way, I will teach you to dance." Naveen winked.

"I don't have time for dancing." Tiana stated simply. "Once we're human, I've got a restaurant to start up"

"You can't mean that." Kairi almost gasped. "A restaurant needs an owner who can balance her time. If you're always working, then you can't spend any time with friends and family."

"It's no big thing. My daddy died in the war, and my mama works herself to the bones just to make ends meet. When my restaurant gets on its feet, she'll have the time she never did when I was growing up." Tiana replied. "Besides, it was a dream of my daddy's and mine. By making our dream a reality, I can keep a part of my daddy's spirit alive. That dream was one of the most beautiful things he could have ever given me."

"That's precious." Kairi sighed.

"I don't think your dad would want to see you alone, though." Namine looked down. "It's a hard thing to be alone all the time, working on something that you absolutely have to see through. I mean, once you get your restaurant, then what? Yeah, you'll have to spend time making sure you can build up your name and clientele, but what will it really be worth to you? I've lived that lonely life; it doesn't do the heart any good."

"I'm sorry you've had to go through with that, but this is the most important thing I could do. Besides, I'm almost there. I just gotta-" Tiana began.

"Who will be with you when you reach your goal? With whom will you be able to share your hopes and dreams? Who will be there to be a listening ear when you have a problem? A shoulder to lean on when you've had enough? A guide who can give a new perspective? It's admirable that you have been able to get here on your own. It's not a matter of needing someone because you're weak or incapable. It's a matter of needing someone because you're human. We all need a special someone- someone who won't let us down." There was emotion in Namine's voice, which cracked ever so slightly when she was talking. "I'm sorry, I have to go. I'll see if I can scout out a quicker way back to New Orleans."

With that, Namine flapped her wings and soared out into the open air, pushing aside both branches and bottles as she left the sight of her friends.

"Did I say something wrong?" Naveen hopped towards Kairi, joining Tiana whose lips were pursed and eyes were slightly moist.

"No, I'm sorry. She hasn't had it very easy recently. It's a long, drawn out story, but your story is a little too similar to hers. It probably cut her pretty deep to see how you might end up feeling if you keep going down this road." Kairi explained.

"I sense the poor child still has quite the heart to be so affected. Everyone needs something, and she may be needing to figure out what hers is." Mama Odie came from the background, moving quietly. "Come now, let's head down and get y'all some food. Who likes gumbo?"

The four of them made their way back down the crow's nest into the main hull of the room. Mama Odie headed for the bathtub, the snake who had been asleep seconds ago hurriedly slithering to her side in case she needed any assistance. They seemed to be almost inseparable. The snake was able to understand what Mama Odie was going to need before she did. While Kairi had to admit that some of the old woman's techniques with the snake were a little unorthodox, it didn't seem to mind being stretched, used as a stool or footrest.

"Where's Namine?" Riku asked, seeing their friend missing as the others came down.

"She's alright. She just went to find a quicker route to New Orleans than swimming. She'll be okay." Kairi gave Riku a look that told him just about everything he needed to know about the emotional temperature of the group.

While the group gathered around for some gumbo, Mama Odie began to stir the pot with her club. When Tiana had tasted the gumbo, she decided to add a couple of drops of Tabasco sauce to make it just right. Upon her trying the soup, Mama Odie got excited and scooped her club into the tub and threw it out, expecting it to stay where it was supposed to be. With a giant _SPLAT, _Kairi looked over to find a very disgruntled Riku with gumbo dripping down his back. His teeth were gritted in an attempt to stifle any scream he might let out thanks to the heat of the gumbo. Without even thinking, Kairi used a cure spell, which soothed his pain, but not his irritation.

Laughter filled the room when Riku let out a brief sigh, indicating that he wasn't going to lash out in anger. He even laughed a little, at least politely. Kairi couldn't quite tell if it were sincere. She reasoned it was because of his gator form. Had they been human, she would have picked up on it much faster. Riku tilted his head up, upon hearing someone landing just outside. He excused himself to go check it out.

It was Namine, landing silently in the water. She let out a sigh and looked solemnly back up at the shining boat where Mama Odie lived. There seemed to be quite a bit of laughter coming from inside. The heat of the day had died down, and the fireflies lit up the night. It looked like one of them was Ray. He waved to her and then found his way inside. Perhaps he was going to come to New Orleans with them.

"Hey, everything cool?" Riku asked the heron.

"Oh, hey Riku. Yeah, it's cool. Sorry I ran off on you guys." she replied. "What happened to you?"

"Food fight of one. I'm afraid I didn't come prepared." Riku smirked. "What was that all about, anyway?"

"I don't know. I guess I let my emotions get the better of me. I just heard that Tiana spends all her time working, and it just reminded me of Castle Oblivion. I don't know her very well, but I didn't want her to end up as isolated as I was. I mean, as a business owner she'd probably be around several people, but I understand what it's like to never have anyone you can be completely open with. When you have to keep a mask on like that for so long, you begin to lose yourself." Namine admitted.

"I get it, Nam. You didn't want her to suffer. It wasn't a terrible thing to do." Riku responded.

"I guess I owe you an apology as well." Tiana hopped on Riku's back, giving them both a little fright. "Oh, sorry. It's just that I've had this dream for so long, that I can't imagine giving up on it now, or even changing it just to have fun. I don't mind a few lonely months, as long as I can fulfill this dream. It meant everything to daddy."

"I'm sorry, too. I didn't mean to insinuate that you needed someone in order to be successful. I just know that it can be hard to complete any large task without someone by your side, even just for moral support." Namine apologized. "I'm sure you'll be able to get your restaurant and make a name for yourself.

"Thanks, Namine." Tiana smiled at the heron. "Did you happen to see any way to get back to New Orleans?"

"Yeah, it looked like there was a steamboat leaving in the next hour or so. They were getting it packed and boarded, for the most part. I figure we could leave here soon and get there just in time to hide in the hull." Namine reported.

"That's great! I'll go tell Naveen and we can find ourselves on that boat!" Tiana smiled, jumped off Riku's head and swam back towards Mama Odie's.

Within a couple of minutes, Namine and Riku watched as Mama Odie bid farewell to the travellers. Tiana and Naveen were riding atop of Louis, and Kairi swam over to Riku, climbing on as well. The light from a single firefly illuminated the humid air, humming a melody. The group hadn't traveled long, when the lightning bug stopped midair. The bayou had opened up to an area without many trees. The stars shone brightly overhead, twinkling in the hundreds. It carried the feeling of seeing the stars from the play island at home, Kairi noticed, but they were completely different than the ones she had grown up learning about. Their home may have been small, but it was part of one much bigger. Each world was one of millions.

"There she is- my beautiful Evangeline!" there was awe in Ray's voice.

"Evangeline? The girl you were telling us about on the way over?" Louis perked up excitedly. "I want to meet her!"

"She's right there. Go ahead and say something." Ray urged.

"Ray my good man, it appears we are alone in the Bayou." Naveen noted.

"How can you miss her?" Ray asked.

"You mean she's that star up there?" Tiana realized.

"Shines so brightly just for me!" He smiled and gave a lovestruck sigh.

Tiana looked to Naveen who was about to say something and then held a finger to her lips. What harm could there be in letting him be in love with one star? He quickly nodded and then looked between Ray and the stars. Naveen had never been in love before. He had known many women, sure. They fell at his feet wherever he went. And why shouldn't they? He was charming, handsome, fabulously wealthy ...and alone. Lawrence was the only person who had been able to stay around him longer than a year. And it wasn't by choice.

But ever since he had been turned into a frog and been around Tiana, things were different. She didn't give him everything he wanted because of his position. He had none at this point, and it had taught him so much. The world was so much more than he ever imagined while he lived behind gold trimmed windows, wearing rose colored glasses. The more he saw of the people as a common frog, the more he wondered how he had ever had fulfillment as a prince. When Namine talked about having someone by your side; that must have been the final nail in the coffin.

Prince Naveen was falling in love. For real this time.

Ray began to sing to his shining star while Louis joined in on the trumpet. Naveen noticed that Tiana was a little sad, perhaps because she had pointedly noted that she could not bring herself to dance. But now, with the music playing, Naveen wondered if it was a front. Perhaps it's not that she didn't have time, but that she had never learned. His suspicions were confirmed when he held out his hand for her. With a bit more urging, she agreed, and Naveen decided that he would do what he could to make her first dance absolutely magical.

Kairi and Namine must have been close to reading his mind, as while they were dancing, Naveen could see bursts of green and pink lights all around them. The frogs whirled through the water and into the air, moving in time to the music and with each other. Kairi noticed Tiana's face growing softer, more tender. It was the way that Aqua looked at Terra, and how she looked every time she thought of Sora. Selphie had made fun of her for it for so long, but now that their feelings had been out in the open, it wasn't so intimidating anymore. Instead, she only wished that she could look at him like that again.

The trumpet part that Louis played somehow had a sad tone to it, just for a part of a second. Ray had been singing about how love is wonderful, and his devotion to Evangeline had a hint of remorse to it. Kairi supposed it was due to their physical separation. Perhaps it was just her mind reading into it and imposing her own feelings into the music. Maybe it wasn't. Either way, it seemed that the entire world and it's music had its own magic, and Kairi had fallen into its spell.

The last somber notes of the trumpet rang through the trees, and Naveen held Tiana in his arms. They stayed like that for a minute and then nervously disengaged. Namine could tell that Kairi was hoping for something a little more romantic at the end. She blamed it on all of the movies she and Selphie watched on the weekend. While she was inside of Kairi's heart, she had seen enough of them to last a lifetime. Namine couldn't help but chuckle a bit at her friend's investment in the pair. Still, she was inwardly cheering them on, too. If for nothing else, Namine hoped they could be close friends who could support and rely on each other.

"Well, do you think you could take us to that steamboat, Namine?" Tiana asked.

"Of course." Namine replied.

The group travelled in silence the rest of the way, making good time on the backs of the two gators. That was something Namine hadn't counted on. It would be easy to hide Ray, Tiana, Naveen and Kairi on board. And she could just as easily land on the roof when she got tired. But Louis and Riku were going to be a problem. They couldn't just waltz onto the ship, could they? Kairi was thinking the same thing as her previous nobody. Outside of just having the pair follow the ship in the water, there wasn't much else Kairi could come up with in how to get them on board.

Not that it would end up being a problem, though. Louis had already climbed up the side of the ship and had made his way on the deck before either of the girls could stop him. A small group of musicians happend to be passing as he had done so. All the group could hear was something about a costume and some happy band members who would finally have the trumpeter they were needing.

"They must think he's in costume for Mardi Gras." Tiana guessed.

"What's Mardi Gras?" Kairi asked.

"It's a great big celebration, with a huge parade." Tiana answered. "Lottie's gonna be on top of one of the floats as a princess…."

Tiana stopped speaking immediately and got a giant smile on her face. She turned to Naveen and grabbed his hands.

"That's it! If Lottie is officially a princess, then all you need to do is kiss her!" Tiana hopped.

"That is right. Once I kiss her, the spell should be broken. We will be human again before midnight!" Naveen joined in her hopping.

"And maybe she'll know if Sora's been here!" Kairi smiled.

"What was that about Sora?" Riku called out from the water

"We may be close to finding him! I know he's alive, I've felt him in my heart." Kairi's smile melted. "But then it went away. The connection went cold."

"What? When did this happen?" Namine asked.

"Before we got to Mama Odie's house. I felt him, and then all of a sudden he was gone, and a cold feeling replaced where he had been before. What if he tried the power of waking again?" Kairi began to fret.

"I don't know what you're talking about, but I am sure you'll find your friend. Maybe he fell asleep or something." Naveen tried to assure his new friends.

"Yeah." Kairi answered with uncertainty. Namine could tell her mind was still coming up with questions and paranoid scenarios about Sora's location.

There was some noise in the background that sounded like some people were yelling to each other and it was getting closer. With haste, Tiana and Naveen made their way to the roof, Kairi leapt off the edge into the river and Namine found her way into the branches of some nearby trees. They would have to travel like this for a bit, as the odds of everyone being safe on board were slim to none. At least they were on their way.

Above it all, Tiana and Naveen were breathing hard, hoping that no one had seen them. Their heavy breaths turned to laughter, as they realized they had gotten away. The air had cleared up, and the stars were twinkling in the sky above. Perhaps Evangeline really was up there, looking down on them. The water below was calm and placid, giving a fine reflection to those who kept their eyes open.

"Listen, perhaps we have been on the wrong foot for a while. I want to apologize for how I have been acting the last couple of days. Can you forgive me?" Naveen asked.

"Where did all of this come from?" Tiana asked, a slight smile on her face.

"I have been doing some thinking ever since we visited Mama Odie, and perhaps I've come to realize you've taught me quite a bit more than I expected." Naveen admitted.

"Well, then I guess I should apologize, too." Tiana responded. "I've pictured you as some pompous jerk who only cares about himself. And while it may have been true for a while, I know that I haven't been the kindest person in the world. Getting this restaurant means everything to me. My daddy was my hero, and I just want to prove to him that his life wasn't useless- that he didn't give up everything for nothing."

"He didn't give it up, you know. Having you and your mother to share his life with; I can't even imagine being able to come home to someone who wants me around at the end of the day." Naveen mumbled the end of his sentence.

"I thought you had everything you wanted as a prince. Didn't people throw themselves at you?" Tiana asked.

"Sure, sure. As long as they thought I had something I could give them. And don't feel like you're above that. It's the only reason you kissed me." Naveen gave a little chuckle. But he started panicking when Tiana's face dropped. "But I know that you're a good person…..That didn't come out the way I wanted it to. I just meant to say, well, you're the first one to stick around, even when I don't have any prospects. I appreciate that."

Naveen held out a hand for Tiana to shake. He would have preferred a hug, but he knew that she probably would not. She surprised him when, instead of reaching out for his hand, she brought him into a short, but sweet hug. As they broke apart, there was a string of mucus that ran between them. Seeing it caused both to laugh awkwardly, and then try to break it apart.

"How about that slime, huh?" Tiana mentioned.

"Actually, believe it or not, there was a boy who told me it wasn't slime- it's mucous. It helps us breathe." Naveen smiled. "He was a good boy, wearing all black and red with some spiky brown hair. He even seemed to have some similar abilities to our new friends."

"Really? There was a kid in my diner dressed just like that this morning. Do you suppose it was the same one?" Tiana asked.

"Stranger things have happened. After all, we are frogs." Naveen laughed. "Come on. Let's try to find some real food around here."

"I'll show you my restaurant when we get close. It's just by the docks." Tiana enthused.

"I'd like that." Naveen smiled before they hopped off the roof and went in towards the boat.

From up above, there was a slight gasp. Namine had been flying overhead, and had managed to overhear everything the frogs said. Flying low to the water, she decided to look for Riku and Kairi to tell them the good news. It didn't take long for her to find her friends, as they were swimming just to the left of the steamboat, Kairi curled up on Riku's back. They were talking; it seemed Riku was trying to help Kairi sort out her feelings, and wash the paranoia away.

"I'm sorry- I've changed a bit, I guess. I never really questioned where Sora went, I just had hope that he'd return to me one day. You too, of course, but things were different between the three of us after your first adventure. And then after I forgot about him for a bit…" Kairi tapered off.

"It's alright, Kai. We'll work our way through this. You're not a sitting duck this time. I know we'll bring him home. Then you can chain him to the paopu fruit tree, or whatever you want to do to keep him with you. Until then, we have to follow our hearts." Riku reassured his friend.

"What do you think it means though, that our connection suddenly went cold like that?" Kairi pursed her small otter lips.

"Maybe we were on the wrong trail after all?" Riku mumbled, his mouth partially under water.

"You can't mean that, whatever you said!" Kairi swatted at his head, doing nothing to the behemoth of an alligator that was Riku.

"Sorry, just thinking out loud. We'll get there, Kai." Riku apologized.

Namine landed next to the two with a splash, trying her best to float on the water and keep pace with her friends. When that didn't work, she made her way to join Kairi in sitting on Riku's back, despite the bumpy ridges that made perching somewhat uncomfortable.

"What's going on, Nami?" Kairi asked.

"I think I know part of why your connection with Sora had such a drastic turn, Kai. It turns out that Sora was here. Tiana thought she served someone who matched his appearance in the diner and Naveen said that he had been helped by a guy in black and red with spiky brown hair. That's got to be him!" Namine reported.

"You're kidding! Maybe it had such a drastic change because he somehow made it off the world without his gummi ship! Oh if only we had landed somewhere else, maybe we would have bumped into him!" Kairi fretted. "Cloud said to look for people who need help, and that could lead us to him."

"He's not wrong." Riku chimed in.

"So then where and how did he go? Kairi asked, more enthusiastic than ever.

"No clue. But if your heart led us to the right world once, I bet it could lead us there again." Riku surmised.

"He's right. Once we get off this world, we could find him again." Namine replied.

The three made their way through the water in silent contemplation for the next few minutes. The boat had a constant hum of the engines, and Kairi could see a hint of green illuminated by a firefly, as either one or both of their frog companions had made their way up to the roof of the boat. There were other lights to their left that started to appear stronger, as they drew closer and closer to the city. Close to the docks, there was one building that stuck out in particular. It was worn and needed a lot of repairs, but had the base for a fairly decent restaurant. The three could faintly hear Raymond saying something about the building being the one Tiana wanted for her business.

"If there's nothing stopping Tiana from getting her restaurant, what's stopping us from bringing Sora home? Let's go!" Kairi punched the air.

As if on cue, heartless began popping up out of no where, and some shadows were making their way toward the boat. They were human-like shadows that looked like they had been pressed and stretched, keeping only a basic idea of their original shape. What were they and where they going?

"Looks like you got your answer, Kai." Riku noted.

Kairi leapt onto Namine's back, who then followed the shadows up to the roof of the boat. It couldn't be- were they going after the frogs? By time they made it up, they could see Ray and Tiana holding on to Naveen as tightly as possible, while the frog prince was stretched between their friends and the shadows.

Kairi and Namine began attacking the shadows, lessening their grip on the frog. They had to work fast, however, as Tiana and Ray were losing their grip, and slowly sliding towards the end of the boat's roof. The shadow was incredibly strong, and the extra lights from the city only served to make them stronger.

"You must use some of your magic! It's what Sora did!" Naveen cried out in pain.

Kairi held her breath and let go of the shadow she was holding back. He knew Sora? Surely that couldn't have been a coincidence. Breaking herself out of the trance she had found herself in, she did the first thing that came to mind- a fire spell. It seemed to damage the shadow, but with the increase of light from the city, its defenses had also gone up. Tiana and Ray could no longer hold their friend, and with a snap, he flew towards the shady foes.

Without a second thought, they flew away with such haste, that even the spells Namine was sending out couldn't capture them. The whole space seemed to lighten up with the shadows gone, but Naveen had been taken along for the ride. Everything had been going so well. Kairi could only blame herself. Had she not stopped in the moment, maybe Naveen would still be here. They could get some answers. He had known about Sora, but they'd never asked him. They had to find out where the frog prince was, at all costs.


	4. Happily Ever After

Holy bananas, did I go down the rabbit hole a bit while doing lore research for this chapter! But it was fun seeing everyone's head cannons and ideas. Hopefully it paid off!

Night was coming on as Sora awoke, the stone floor cold against his chin. He found himself in a small room, but all he had strength to do was move his head. What had happened to him? The last thing he could remember was pricking himself on a sharp stick and being unable to fly away. He couldn't even jump like he usually did. Whatever magic had been imbued in that machine had to have been powerful. But given that the laugh he heard was probably Maleficent's, he should expect no less.

All of those shadows should have been a pinch for him to have taken care of. He had seen more action. Maybe that dark room had been slowly stealing energy from him. Doctor Facilier had sent him there, perhaps he and the witch were in cahoots. The worst part was that Sora had no idea what she was up to this time. All throughout their last adventure, Maleficent and Pete had been mysteriously missing. No doubt they were working on whatever scheme they had planned out.

Looking around as best he could with limited movement and fading light, Sora could tell they were in some kind of castle. There wasn't really anything of significance in the room. The corner held a little straw for a bed, and that was about it. Once he got some energy, he would be out of here. No lock could hold him. His keyblade could unlock anything. Sora gathered the will to summon his weapon, finding that his equipped Wheel of Fate had been swapped out for the kingdom key. It didn't even feel like the one he had when starting the last adventure. The improvements he had placed on it had slightly weighed the weapon down. This one was lighter.

Sora groaned. He didn't have to guess what had happened. He was back to square one. _Again._ He surmised that Maleficent must have stolen all of his acquired powers. No more glide, no more high jump, no more sweet, sweet finishing combos. He was weak, like he had been at the beginning of all of his adventures, albeit with some more experience. It was going to take a while to get back to where he had been. The witch even stole all of his accessories and items.

He closed his eyes. In his mind, Sora could see Kairi, fighting so hard to keep him tied to the light and cheering him on. But she fought, too. Something told Sora that she was fighting right now, hopefully searching to be reunited. The connection was faint, but it was still there. Sora had taken the warmth the connection brought for granted, just like he had taken Kairi for granted. Not anymore. Sora promised himself that he would stick by her side when they could be together again.

Someone was coming into the room. Sora quickly closed his eyes, feigning sleep. He could feel the cure spell they had cast on him, as warmth soothed the side of his face implanted in the ground and energy spread into his limbs. Knowing it was inevitable, he opened his eyes and looked at who had healed him.

"Well, lookie who's up. It's about time" Pete scoffed, folding his arms. "I don't know why Maleficent wanted to bring you here. Sounds like nothing but trouble to me."

Sora gave a gasp and instantly went to get into battle position when he realized that he was bound by two long chains to the wall.

"What did you do to me?" Sora growled.

"I didn't do nothing. Maleficent just wanted the level the playing field, that's all." Pete responded.

"Like I'm going to believe that. What are you guys after this time? Still Kingdom Hearts?" Sora barked.

"Like I'd be telling a pipsqueak like you. With that book, Maleficent won't be needing Kingdom Hearts." Pete jeered.

"Book?" Sora asked.

Pete jumped a little bit. "That's none of your business!"

Sora smirked. "You know I can unlock these and I'll be kicking your butt any minute, right? Just tell me what you're after and I might go easy on you."

"Like that's even possible. Look at that wrist cuff. Aint nothing locked around here. That chain has been magically wound around your arm. It's all one piece." Pete smirked back. "You gotta stay here until Maleficent gets what she needs. You're our little bargaining piece. Your little friends will do anything to keep you safe."

Sora was at a loss for words. No way he was going to let himself be used as a bargaining piece. Especially if it meant that his friends were going to give up something important just to save him. He would find a way out of this prison, that was for sure.

"Anyway, just comin' in to see how you were doing and making sure that you didn't hurt yourself too hard in that inky black void. You'll get your supper in a couple of hours."

Pete made his way to the door, and all Sora could do was watch. With some anger building up, Sora started to pull and whack at the chain that held him tightly against the wall. All to no avail. Sure enough, he looked at the band that had circled his arm and found no lock. With a sigh, Sora slumped down to the floor, tired and defeated. Perhaps he'd come up with a better solution in time, but until then, he may as well rest. Looking out the small window directly across from him, Sora saw the sun had completely gone down and the stars began their nightly twinkling, the moon dancing across the sky.

Sora wasn't completely without hope. At least now he knew that his friends were out and about trying to rescue him. There were so many of them, they would be bound to find him soon. In the meantime, perhaps he could get Pete to spill some more details about this book he was talking about. What was so important about it? Sora could bide his time, he hoped. He had always been a man of action, not of patience. With any luck, he wouldn't have too hard of a time getting adjusted to his new location.

**Kairi**

"Follow that frog!" Kairi called out, having defeated all of the heartless that had surrounded them.

The shadows had stolen Prince Naveen away, but that wasn't going to stop the reinvigorated princess of heart. He had seen Sora recently! If nothing else, it gave Kairi hope, knowing that her heart had led her to the right place after all. With her reinvigorated spirit, Kairi seemed to bounce along the water's surface, making great time behind the shadows.

She had a hard time getting up the side of the pier, however, and had to wait until Riku and Namine could catch up. Thankfully they were not far behind. Tiana was on Namine's back, with Ray flying close to her side.

"Get on Nam's back, kai. I'm only going to cause panic moving around this way." Riku held out his tail for the otter. "I'll give you a lift."

Without any need to explain, Kairi swiftly swam to the outstretched tail awaiting for her and flew through the air with the lift given her by the quick upward motion of Riku's large tail. WIth a graceful landing on Namine's back, the friends were off. Floating beside the group came a little ball of light. It zig-zagged along the route, occasionally stopping in the shadows of the alleyways.

"Anyone see where the shadows went? Namine scanned the city below.

The streets were as loud as they were illuminated. Seemingly hundreds of people were lined up along the parade route and dancing in the streets wearing all manner of costumes. Bands were playing, confetti littered the air and huge floats meandered down in all sorts of lights and airs. The biggest float looked like a giant pink cake, complete with people atop it. The girl was wearing a gigantic pink dress, and standing beside her was a handsome prince, all ready to be wed.

"No way...that can't be Naveen." Tiana had a mixed look of shock and disappointment on her face.

"You see him? Where?" Kairi scanned the parade.

"Right up on that wedding cake, getting married to miss Charlotte LaBouff."

"Oh Tiana, I'm sorry." Kairi placed a paw on the frog's shoulder.

"No, this is how its supposed to be. He gets his old life back, she gets her prince and I get my restaurant. Everyone got what they wanted." Tiana sighed.

"But it's not what you need. Or him. Something else must be going on. After all, you're still a frog. Shouldn't you both have changed back together?" Kairi reassured.

"I don't know. This is all the doing of the shadow man." Tiana responded.

Namine landed near a church and the light orb that had been following them appeared beside them, changing back into Riku. Tiana and Kairi jumped off the heron's back and tried to figure out what to do. It was at that moment that footsteps and talking alerted them to another's presence.

"You won't be getting away this time, Froggy prince. My friends will see to that." A thin man surrounded by mists of darkness and a black suit headed down the church stairs.

"That's the shadow man" Tiana whispered. "He must have something on him that is keeping me a frog."

"Should we go for Naveen?" Kairi whispered back.

"No, whatever is going on here is going to be centered on him." Tiana replied. "It ought to be a token, or a badge of some sort."

As the man walked out, the shadows on the wall produced Naveen, still in frog form and began to toss his unconscious body between them. With a growl, Riku quickly made his way to the steps of the church, where the sly man was making his way towards the parade. Riku bared his teeth and stood up on his hind legs in order to be as menacing as possible. He snapped at the man, who didn't seem as phased to see a full-sized alligator being aggressive in the middle of town. There were screams to be held as Louis came charging down the lane, aided by an enthusiastic Raymond.

Kairi, Namine and Tiana also made their way closer to the shadow man, who had stopped in his tracks. As he was getting boxed in by the group of animals, Doctor Facilier had a gleam in his eye.

"Now, I don't suppose y'all want any trouble. I'm in the middle of something important, so you'd better let me through, or else you'll have to answer to my friends on the other side."

As the group readied their weapons, the shadows that had been playing with the frog prince rushed to the man's aid, tossing Naveen around like a toy doll. From the man's faint shadow, more and more darkness arose, until the group had been encased in it. The man began to float and spin around the large area, laughing at them.

"I don't have time for the likes of you. I've got a city of souls to send to my friends on the other side. Besides, there's a wedding going on, and it ain't proper to be making a ruckus. If y'all don't behave yourselves, I'll have to send you away, like I did that other interloper."

"What did you do to Sora?" Prince Naveen called from the shadow's grasp.

Kairi gave a small gasp, putting things together. She didn't know all of the details, but if this man had any interactions with Sora, maybe he was the reason their connection had suddenly grown cold.

"I just sent him away, like what I should be doing to you all. I have no obligation to keep any of you safe"

The man made a wave of his arm and multiple shadows began hurling themselves at our heroes, who dodged as best as they could in their animal forms. Kairi leapt onto Riku's head and then springboarded up into the air, headed for the shadows that were holding Naveen. Tiana rode on Namine's back and then dropped down onto the shadow man. He easily shook her off, and then continued to float around, making it hard to get a good hit on him. Namine quickly shot off a gravity spell which brought him down into the range of Riku and Louis, who began attacking at him.

Kairi landed amongst the shadows and cast a holy spell, dissipating them almost instantly. As she and Naveen began to fall to the ground, more shadows replaced them, grabbing a the otter and the frog. Raymond did his best to dispel the evil with his light, while Kairi used her keyblade to keep the enemies from grabbing a firm hold on Naveen.

"You must get his locket. It has the ability to make my valet look like me. He's probably going to get married any minute now!" Naveen warned.

"Finish him off quickly and stop the marriage. Got it." Kairi continued to use holy magic, allowing them to float down to the ground. "Riku, did you hear?"

"Yeah, just a little busy here!" The gator grunted.

With another burst of energy, Riku and Louis managed to pin the man down. Namine continued to use gravity in order to help them. WIth a couple of bounds, Tiana nimbly moved past the gators and magic spells. "What does this thing look like?"

"I don't know, it's something magicky. Look for something a tourist would buy!" Naveen called out, keeping the shadows at bay.

"Stop! I know what you want. You want to fulfill your daddy's dream, don't you?" The shadow man started.

"How do you know-" Tiana was interrupted.

"You want to start that little restaurant and be the biggest buzz in town. If you stop right now, I can get you what you want. Don't you want to make your daddy proud?" He smirked.

"Don't listen to him, Tiana! He isn't promising to help you get what you need!" Kairi called out.

"You've had all sorts of disappointments and setbacks to get where you want to go, and you're almost there. But say you can't get the building. You're a frog, after all. But I can get you something even better, and the only price you'd pay is your struggles right now. It'd be an easy road, and you'd never have to worry about that annoying, stuck up prince again." the shadow man's voice was calm and even.

"Almost there…." Tiana let slip her grip on the shadow man's coat. From the pocket fell a small wooden trinket, held up on a string.

"Nothing worthwhile comes easily." Kairi's voice called out.

In Tiana's mind, she was alone in a dark void. She could see her mother, working herself to the bone all throughout her childhood. She also saw all of those times she herself had missed out on social events with her friends due to work. The hurtful and negative words spoken by those around her echoed in her mind. Maybe she wouldn't ever get the funds she needed. Maybe her cooking wouldn't be enough to pay the bills. As her mind slipped into despair, she saw a light. It wasn't very bright, but it pierced through the darkness.

"Evangeline?" Tiana squinted, as the brightness grew brighter.

"You can do it. I believe in you. You have everything you need to make your dream come true. You always have and you did it all by yourself. Now enjoy the fruits of your labor with the friends and family who love you. Don't give in now."

It was Prince Naveen's voice.

Tiana's eyes opened, and once again, she was atop the shadow man's chest, just inches away from the very thing that stood in between her and her dream. Without a second thought, she stuck out her tongue, scooped up the artifact and began rapidly hopping away. Prince Naveen quickly followed after, swatting away shadows as best as he could.

With a roar, the man began to be swallowed up in darkness. Louis and Riku were shaken off his body, and his limbs began to take shape as a horrible monster. His arms were thick and came to stubs at the end, and his eyes were yellow beads. Tufts of hair poked out from one side, and a pair of pins were sticking out of his head. His entire body had been made up of stitches, and there was a red patch sewn on towards the side of his torso. He let out a malicious roar, which sent the two gators into the air, right into where Namine was flying.

Tiana and Naveen continued to hop, doing their best to run from the shadows. Raymond was trying to catch up, hoping to provide aid in any way he could. The giant heartless that was once the shadow man began to flail around, hitting anything in its wake. As the three fallen heroes got off the top of each other, they were hit once again by an arm as the owner moved on blind rage.

Namine sent out a cure spell, and the alligators were back on their feet. Deflecting hits away from the frog, they slowly whittled down his health as Kairi and Raymond fought the shadows chasing a tired Tiana and Naveen. As he was trying to pry their shadowy fingers off of Tiana, Ray got caught in the dark hand himself, its grip suddenly closing in around him. He didn't even have time to scream, as the shadows were fast and effective.

"Ray!" Tiana replied, looking back at where the firefly had fallen.

Kairi cast another holy spell, but she knew it was the last one she would be able to do. Her magic was worn out and she hadn't thought to grab some ethers from that moogle shop in Radiant Garden. She cursed herself for not thinking ahead. While her fighting style was mostly physical attacks, it never hurt to carry something on you that could speed up the process of magic restoration.

"Keep going, Tiana! We can't afford to lose you, too!" Kairi called out, hitting a shadow with her keyblade.

In an instant, the shadows were dispersed, and everything stopped. Kairi and Tiana stopped and looked around. The room had lost all color and now took on the hues of black and white. Sensing the darkness could not reach them here, both relaxed; Tiana even took the voodoo man's trinket out from her mouth. It was almost uncanny, being able to see everyone mid action.

"Did Namine do this?" Tiana asked.

"No, I think this is a little out of her league." Kairi decided.

"It was my doing." A voice came out from behind them. "Please don't be afraid."

"Who are you?" Kairi looked around, hoping to see the location where the voice was coming from.

"You may not recognize me, but I've been waiting to meet you, Kairi." The voice called.

"Does this happen a lot?" Tiana asked.

"Somehow, it seems it happens more than it should." Kairi sighed. "you're not some person who lives in the blank space that is my past, are you? Because I could really use a few memories filled in."

"No, not exactly. But I am the main reason that your nobody has abilities over memory." The voice replied.

"You're kidding. How? Who are you?" Kairi continued to look around.

Stepping out from Kairi's body, a girl, probably no older than 15 appeared. She wore pink and gold robes and had on a white and purple mask in the shape of a fox. She was about Kairi's height and had a soft voice.

"I'm sorry to bother you, I can tell you two are busy trying to protect the light right now. But I wanted to get to you before any of the others do. You're princesses of heart, aren't you?" The girl asked.

"Princesses of heart?" Tiana inquired. "What are you talking about?"

"They're guardians who help when darkness begins to overcome the worlds. I knew I was one, but we don't know who else is." Kairi responded to both.

"Just last night during the short sleep I had, I dreamt that a woman in a yellow ball gown came to me and said something about protecting the world from darkness." Tiana admitted.

"Then please heed my warning: there will be others who will try to take you away. But you have to resist. Someone I used to look up to is up to no good, and he needs the princesses of heart as part of his plan." The mysterious girl relayed. "Beware a man in a black hood."

"What do they want?" Tiana asked.

"I'm not sure yet, but his track record isn't very good. Last time his actions cost many lives and practically the world as we knew it. My eyes were opened in the worst way possible." The girl replied.

"But we've already destroyed the organization. Is there anyone else who wears those hoods?" Kairi noted.

"They have the same hood as the organization, but they're not connected."

"You know what the organization is?" kairi was surprised.

"Yes, I've been hiding in your heart for a long time. I'm sorry to have barged in, it's a long story." She apologized.

"It's okay, but you didn't answer my question. Who are you? And is this time manipulation your doing?" Kairi interrupted.

"It is. Unfortunately I only have a short time with you. My name is Ava, and I am in charge of the vulpes union. Kairi, I need your help specifically with something- look for me in your dreams." Ava started to disappear. " and Tiana, please keep a watchful vigil."

As Ava faded away, color once again filled the world around Kairi and Tiana. Everything began to move again. Once the giant heartless was defeated, the shadows turned their attention away from the frogs and made a beeline for the man, giving his form another chance. Seeing this window of opportunity, Tiana released hold of the trinket and smashed it on the ground, breaking it into tiny pieces. All at once, the dark region surrounding them was undone, and the lights and sounds of Mardi Gras filled their senses. They were able to see clearly in time for the friends that the shadow man had been so confident in dragging him away towards what looked to be the cemetery.

There were more shouts of astonishment, this time coming from the crowds behind them. The man who had once been Prince Naveen atop the wedding cake float turned older, a gray ring of hair went around his head. It was a wonder that the clothing he wore still managed to fit, despite all of the weight that had suddenly accrued along the man's waist and torso. He had also shrunk quite a bit, causing the would-be bride to cringe at his appearance.

"DADDY! GET THIS MAN OFF MY WEDDIN' CAKE!" Lottie yelled.

The priest had just asked if anyone had a reason to stop the wedding. Upon seeing the bride's reaction of her transforming fiance, he softly closed his Bible and made his way off the cake float. It seemed his services had been concluded.

"No please, I can explain!" Lawrence tried to shield himself as Lottie began to beat him with her bouquet.

Having beat the man satisfactorily, Lottie followed the priest to sit on the steps of the church and cry in private. Her father gave Lawrence a look that showed anger and disbelief. With just one swing of a hand, several parade-goers had Lawrence by the arms, intending to take him to the station for questioning.

WIth a gasp, Tiana remembered their firefly friend, and led the gang in a charge to check on him, praying that the worst wouldn't come true. Ray's light was dimmer than ever, as he looked up to the stars and spoke to his beloved Evangeline. The shadow had done some irrevocable damage, and it looked like their fears had become manifest. Ray was dying.

"Ray, I can't believe you did that. How can we ever repay you?" Tiana tried to hold back her tears.

Without a word, he simply motioned for Naveen to take Tiana's hand. The two frogs did as he suggested, and gave each other looks of pure sorrow, hoping to take solace in the other's countenance. The little lightning bug looked up to the sky and held out one of his little hands to the stars, silently calling out for his dear Evangeline. They would be together soon enough. Kairi and Namine clustered close to Riku as Louis began playing a sorrowful tune on his horn. Ray had been a good friend, and Kairi wished they could have spent more time together.

Death was an interesting thing. It took a person you loved away. Even though you could still be connected in your heart, things weren't the same. When the person traveled, hope helped you hold on until they returned. Death was more permanent. Back at the islands, they had a belief that when someone died, they could visit you whenever you went somewhere that was special to the both of you. It was why Kairi had been sitting at the paopu tree more often lately; it was mostly to assure herself that Sora hadn't died.

And yet, death is just as vital to life as birth is. It could give cause to say at least one nice thing about the worst person in the world. It allowed people to think about the important things in life, and give a reminder that no one has unlimited time on the earth. Kairi couldn't imagine how one would view life in general if they knew there would be no end. Maybe they'd lose all appreciation for what makes life wonderful,and only live for themselves, without a care in the world.

As they turned to leave the scene and tell Ray's family the awful news, they noticed a girl nearly drowning in a wedding dress, shedding quite a few tears of her own. It seemed all sorts of tragedies were occurring tonight.

"Lottie?" Tiana questioned, and slowly made her way over to her grieving friend, Naveen following close after.

With a scream, Lottie grabbed the closest thing to her (in this case, a rock) and lifted it high above her head. With a little more force than she had anticipated, she let the rock fall, which landed directly atop Prince Naveen. She hadn't expected to see any frogs this far from a body of water, and they had spooked her.

"Wait, Lottie! It's me, Tiana, and- and Prince Naveen!" Tiana held out her arms.

"Naveen? Where?" Lottie looked around, ignoring the animals. "Wait….Tia? Is that you?"

"Yes!"

"Where are you, sugar? I don't see you"

"Down here. I'm the frog."

"And Prince Naveen?" Lottie looked around more quickly.

"Under the rock." Naveen's voice was muffled.

With a gasp, Lottie quickly picked up the rock and rolled it to the side, exposing the frog prince. He had been comedically squished, as if he were a cartoon character. After just a second, Tiana helped Naveen up as they both looked up to Charlotte. She grinned at the both of them.

"It's just like the stories we read as kids, Tia."

"Yes, and if you kiss Naveen, we'll both be human again. Then y'all two can get married and I can get my restaurant." Tiana urged. "Hurry, it looks like it'll be midnight any minute now."

"And we'll live happily ever after?" Lottie looked hopefully at the frogs.

"I promise to make you as happy as I can, Miss LaBouff." Naveen promised, looking with tender eyes. There was also a hint of sadness in them.

"But you won't be able to love me fully, will you?" Lottie looked at Naveen.

He sighed. "No, I'm afraid I won't. I have come to love another, but I'm willing to compromise if it will get her what she needs. Come come, now. Midnight is drawing nearer."

"Well, I'm afraid I can't agree to those terms, sugarplum. If I'm going to have a prince, he's going to be head over heels for me." Lottie crossed her arms. The first sounds of the clocktower rang across the town.

"What? Lottie, this is everything you need." Tiana looked from her friend to the clocktower.

"No, Tia. It's what I wanted. Besides, he needs you." Lottie looked at the clock. "Maybe it's fast. Come here, Naveen!"

Tiana closed her eyes, hoping to be human when she opened them again. She wondered if she would feel anything, or if she would have clothes on when she reverted back. As the final Lottie kissed Naveen, but nothing happened. The final bell rang, and the two were still frogs. When Tiana opened her eyes, she gave a cry of alarm and disappointment.

"It was too late." Namine stated.

"How does that work? She's is a princess, right?" Riku added.

"I was only princess of the Mardi Gras parade. At midnight, Mardi Gras ended, as did my royal title. The spell has to be broken by the kiss of a princess. Oh Tia, I'm so sorry." Lottie placed Naveen down and looked at her friend.

"It's alright." Tiana choked down a sob. "I was so close."

"It's not all bad." Naveen held out his hand for Tiana to take.

"What did you mean when you said he needs me, Lottie?" Tiana took Naveen's hand.

"Don't you see, Tiana? Prince Naveen learned so much from you. He wants to stay with you." Kairi pleaded.

"Really? You'd want to stay with me? Why on earth would you want to do that? I'm just a frog with nothing to her name." Tiana looked at Naveen.

"I'm on the same boat. Besides, you've changed me for the better, Tiana. I want to stay with you- as long as you'd like the same thing, of course." Naveen looked hopeful.

Tiana looked a little uncomfortable, but there was a small smile on her face. "You're not so bad yourself, your majesty. We could probably make it out as frogs for a little while longer. Besides, it hasn't been so bad. I just hate that I'm going to lose out on that beautiful building for my restaurant. It would have been fun to hear your music, Naveen."

It was then that Kairi had an idea.

"Wait, Tiana! You can be human again. You're now officially a Princess of Heart. Belle must have passed on her powers to you in the dream. If being a princess of a parade counts to break the spell, that surely will too." Kairi smiled.

"Do you think it'll count?" Tiana asked.

"It is worth a try." Naveen smiled back at Kairi.

Tiana and Naveen turned to each other and slowly pressed their lips together in a tender kiss. As their lips met, a bright light emanated from their bodies as they changed into human forms. Tiana was wearing a large, green dress with lotus embellishments and a headband to match. Naveen had on a white tunic and solid slacks. His whole outfit screamed royalty, and there was a smile on both of their faces. Kairi could sense how happy the turn of events had made Naveen, and hoped that Tiana felt the same way. Although they weren't quite made for each other, Both Tiana and Naveen had strengths and weaknesses that the other could help with.

Maybe that was the point of a relationship, Kairi thought. You don't have to be a match made in heaven. The important thing is that you help improve each other and celebrate the other's achievements. She thought about all of the ways that Sora made her better. His carefree attitude and ability to make friends almost instantly. She hoped she helped him in some way. Maybe she grounded him a little, maybe she helped him realize what was most important. He always helped her see the good in things and to cherish the moments as they came. Even though they'd been friends forever, Kairi knew there were still things she was going to be able to learn in the future. She only hoped it could start soon. She missed Sora more than even she expected.

Kairi could feel Namine and Riku wrap their arms around her, as awkwardly as a heron and an aligator can do to an otter. Had they been in their human forms, one would be incredibly muscular and the other would be small but firm. Namine wiped a tear off Kairi's cheek and gave her a smile. Kairi must have started to cry without realizing it. Soon enough, she felt herself smiling. The warmth of her two friends gave her the strength to move on. They would find Sora. They just had to.

"What do you know, it actually worked." Naveen smiled at Tiana.

"Have you ever kissed a princess before?" Tiana asked.

"Never one that I have enjoyed so much. And I look forward to doing it again." Naveen cooed.

"Play your cards right, and you just might." Tiana winked.

Lottie squealed with delight and hugged the two. "Oh Tia, I'm so happy for you!"

After a few moments, Namine's phone started to ring. She took the call a few steps away and then returned shortly. "That's a friend of ours. We need to meet with him as soon as we can."

"That's no problem. I think we'll be fine here. Those monsters even seem to be leaving the city. Maybe the shadow man was drawing them in." Tiana held Naveen's hand.

"Okay, just be careful, Tiana. Remember what we learned." Kairi cautioned.

"I will." Tiana winked. "Although, I'm not quite sure how or what I need to do."

"It'll come if we need you." Kairi answered, remembering her own time protecting the worlds as a princess.

With a wave goodbye, Kairi, Namine and Riku left for the gummi ship, staying close to the edges of town, as there were still plenty of people around, milling about the parade route.

"Who was on the phone, Nami?" Kairi asked from the gummi ship cockpit.

"It was the king. He saw my call from earlier and suggested we meet at Yen Sid's tower. It'll give us a chance to discuss everything from the book of prophecies to what else could be happening." Namine responded.

"You said Tiana was one of the seven new lights. How did you find that out, Kai?" Riku inquired.

"She told me. I'll explain it all when we get to the tower, I think there's a bit to unpack there. Let's just say that it looks like Sora's not the only one who had quite the crowd in his heart." Kairi laughed.


	5. The Next Chapter

alrighty, everyone, sorry this chapter doesnt look as nice as they normally do, I'm uploading it from my phone because I'm a couple days past my oroginal release date. Please review and let me know what you think of anything in the story!

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Sora sat as comfortably as he could, although with the chains around his wrists, it wasn't very easy. He had expected to be out of these by now. At least they had given him a somewhat decent bed. Too bad the same couldn't be said of the food. If they really were trying to keep him alive, maybe they had better start with the meals.

Despite all of the discomfort, Sora knew it wouldn't be long until he could get out of here. He had no idea how it would happen, but he had faith that his friends had his back and would find him. Perhaps Maleficent had managed to find herself a castle after all. Pete was here, so she shouldn't be too far behind.

The night had grown still. Sora couldn't hear any animals outside his window. He wondered how far up he was. The sky was still dark, so it couldn't have been very long since dinner, but it felt like it had been forever. How Kairi had dealt with the boredom of routine and isolation from her best friends was something Sora couldn't figure out.

_Kairi_.

A pain grew in Sora's heart. Dear light, he missed her. She was really cute with her hair cut like that- Sora hadn't gotten a chance to tell her. He laughed in spite of himself thinking of her. The way she always smelled like the ocean, even though she wasn't a native islander, the way she freckled up after getting a bad sunburn, there were so many little things about her that Sora found comforting. To think he'd never see her again drove him crazy. He swore at that very moment that he would find his way back to her.

Sora looked up to the sky and sighed. If only he could figure out how to get out.

Sora was so deep in his thoughts that he didn't notice a small, shiny thing fall right at his feet. He couldn't quite make out what it was, but it seemed like some sort of metal. His foot was pretty close to it, he just about had it...

It moved.

The shiny metal thing slid across the stone floor with a loud scraping noise, and made its way up the wall and out the window. Once again, everything returned to quiet, and Sora returned to his thoughts of Kairi, hoping it would somehow call her heart to his.

_Bonk_

"Owww!" Sora rubbed at his head.

By his side was the metal thing. Upon closer look, Sora could tell it was a big hook, like the fishermen back at home. Curious, he picked it up.

There were a couple of tugs on the attached rope, which Sora could hold easily enough. The line went limp, as if no weight were being tugged onto it. Sora tugged on it, and all of a sudden, a huge weight pulled at the hook, nearly pulling itself out of Sora's hands. He was determined though, and held on as best as he could. When he couldn't hold on much longer, he tried putting the hook on the chain holding his hand.

It was a tight squeeze, and the hook started cutting into Sora's wrist, but it held the hook and even began to stretch out a little more. With any luck, he'd be able to slip his wrist out in no time. What happened next surprised both Sora and the woman climbing up.

"Hello?" Sora asked, the woman's face was obscured in darkness.

She said nothing as she turned around and began helping someone else climb through the window. Sora could hear some grunting as a man tried to fit himself through the window, throwing himself on the floor. Looking down, Sora snapped back into attention and quickly slipped a hand out of the wrist cuff before it could shrink again.

"Who are you guys?" Sora asked.

"Woah, Lightning! You didn't say there would be someone here!." The man pulled out a giant sword.

"Didn't know." The woman summoned a fireball, both to provide light and as a protection. "Hey, hold up-it's just a kid."

"Who are you calling a kid? The name is Sora, thank you. And you can put away your weapons. I'm not going to hurt you. See?"

Sora pointed to the remaining wrist cuff that continued to hold him to the wall. The man and the woman looked at each other and then shrugged, and the sword went away.

From what Sora could see, the woman was incredibly beautiful. Her light hair was combed to one side, and she wore a jacket with shorts and a high collar. The man had spiky black hair and a black sleeveless turtleneck. His pants had a couple of belts, and the sword reminded Sora of another he had seen, though he couldn't say where.

"Sora, huh? I'm Zack and this is Lightning. Oh!" Zack turned towards the window and have a quick bird call. One came back, floating on the breeze, to which Zack gave a thumbs up.

"Coast is clear so far. What do you suppose we ought to do, Lightning? We can't just leave him here." Zack asked.

"I know." She responded. "I don't want to leave him here, but you know our first priority is finding that book."

"Hello? I can help you!" Sora called his keyblade to his hand.

The two have each other a quick look, as if trying to decide what to make of this change in plans. An owl hooted out the window.

"That's the signal. We need to go if we're going to make it." Lightning turned back to Sora. "We'll be back for you. Just hold on a little bit longer, okay? See if you can break out at all."

And just like that, they were back out the window, jumping up even higher. Sora sighed. If they were just going to do that, what was with the grappling hook? He sat down and healed his wrist, cleaning off a small amount of blood in the process. He was going to have to wait until the two got back to get out; it had been their combined weight that had freed Sora in the first place.

Slumping to the ground, Sora could only wait for his saviors to return. Waiting was hard for him. In a way, he was still that impatient 14 year old boy, wanting to explore past his little island. With nothing to stare at, and a long day behind him, Sora felt his eyes slowly close, growing heavier by the minute.

"Hey, you have to wake up. It's time to go." An unfamiliar voice called to him.

Sora opened his eyes, not exactly sure where he was. but standing above him was Zack, worry in his eyes.

"What?" Sora asked sleepily.

"No time to explain. Bad guys are after us. Did you figure out how to get out of here?" Zack started pulling at the chain.

"Yeah. I need you guys to weigh down the hook. That's how I got out of this first one." Sora pointed to the grappling hook.

"Okay. Can you hurry down once you're free?" Zack handed the hook to Sora.

"Sure thing." Sora responded, arranging the hook into his wrist cuff.

"Come on, Zack! They're sending heartless out like crazy!" Sora could hear Lightning call from the windowsill. She was already holding on to the rope.

In just a matter of minutes, both Lightning and Zack were bouncing down the side of the tower. As quickly as he could, Sora pulled his hand out of it's imprisonment and rolled towards the window. He could hear enemies charging last his door, and the heavy wood scratching against the floor as it opened. Without a look back, Sora leapt out the window.

"Maleficent is gonna have my head for this!" Pete worried. "Keep going, you numbskulls! Get that book!"

As Sora flew down towards the ground, he noticed that the walls under the window to his prison were incredibly smooth. There would have been no way anyone could climb it without some rope. He was glad for this design detail. Without it, he never would have made it out.

Sora attempted to use flowmotion to land on a nearby tree, when he realized that most of his skills were gone. Luckily he had survived falls from just as high in the past, but the sheer terror that filled his brain just before he reached the ground and rolled to distribute the velocity was enormous. It had given him such an adrenaline high, that he had to catch his breath when he got up.

Sora could feel a hand on his back. Looking up, he could see yet another stranger. "Are you okay?"

The man had a kind look on his face with brown hair and a small ringlet adorning his head. There was a shining gold armor piece on his shoulder and a cape behind his sleeveless tunic and many belts. Sora had no time to ask questions though, as Zack quickly scooped him up and carried him on the shoulder.

"Pleasantries later, Bartz. We need to go, NOW." Lightning ran up behind them, a small black book in hand.

Seeing heartless gathering behind them, Sora called out his keyblade and began shooting off fireballs, picking off the closest ones. His blasts were nowhere near as powerful as they once were, but he'd have to deal. The same thing had happened to him several times before, so he was used to it by now.

Eventually, the heartless pulled back, allowing our heroes to slow down. Zack put Sora down and then sat on the ground himself. With a sigh, Zack wiped the sweat off his forehead. "Well that didn't go quite the way I'd hoped. Glad I had such a beautiful lady to back me up."

Lightning rolled her eyes, but kept a small smile on her face as if there were some running gag between the two. She seemed to be slightly amused. The other man also sat down, though he wasn't nearly as tired as the other two.

"What happened in there, anyway?" The man asked, grabbing some grass and twisting it between his fingers.

"It looked like Maleficent was waiting for us to come get the book. She had some of her biggest, meanest and ugliest heartless waiting for us. I jumped into action and-" Zack started, his voice rising as he spoke.

"What he means to say is that it was a trap. I don't know how we even got the book. But here it is." Lightning spoke, holding aloft the book.

It seemed to be fairly old, with yellowing pages and a design on the cover that was slowly fading away. Sora looked at it in awe, wondering what could be so important about some book.

"It looks just like that man described it. I wonder what he wants with it." Lightning turned the book around in her hand.

"Did you guys get any other leads about the other items he wanted?" The stranger asked.

"Sorry, not this time." Zack sighed. He looked over at Sora and then perked up. "Oh, sorry! I can't believe I forgot. Sora, this is Bartz. He's a friend of ours. Bartz, this is Sora. We found him in the tower."

"I was wondering what took you so long in that first section of the castle." Bartz noted. "Nice to meet you, Sora. What brought you to the witch's castle?"

"Dunno. I was surrounded by darkness, pricked on the finger, and now I'm here. But it's alright, I've dealt with her before." Sora nodded.

"Really? But you're so young!" Bartz was surprised.

"Hey, I'm not a kid! I'm almost 17!" Sora protested.

The three had a slight laugh. Daylight was starting to break through the clouds, bringing light over the mountains that surrounded them. Zack got up and started to stretch and do a couple of squats. Lightning stashed the book in her bag and Bartz pulled out some berries to snack on.

"Wait, so here's something I don't get- what's so important about this book, and why didn't you go with them, Bartz?" Sora started.

"That's two things." Bartz answered. "But they're simple answers. I couldn't climb up due to the lingering fear of heights. something to do with my childhood. It wasn't serious, but I just can't get any higher than a few feet before vertigo creeps in. As for the other thing…"

"Why don't you come with us? You seem handy with that weapon, and we could always use an extra set of eyes. You never know what to expect here." Lightning interrupted.

"Sure, I guess." Sora answered, picking up on her unwillingness to continue the conversation.

Perhaps she wanted to make sure they could trust him. After all, they had found him behind enemy lines. Knowing Maleficent, and looking from another's perspective, it would be too easy for him to be a spy. Sora could respect her actions, even if he knew he wasn't a threat. That book must be incredibly important, or else there wouldn't need to be such secrecy.

Still, Sora was happy to be out of that castle and away from the darkness that seemed to loom over it. Now that he was out in the sunshine, the doubts, fears and anger he once held were washed away. There would be nothing stopping him from his number one priority: returning home to Kairi and his friends. Maybe they could finally be together for more than a week.

Zack, Bartz and Lightning each grabbed an elixir out of their bags and chugged it down. Seeing he was without, Lightning grabbed an extra out of her bag and tossed it to Sora.

"Here, you'll need your strength" she stated with some kindness in her voice. "We need to get out of here and put some space between us and that castle."

"Right." Sora nodded, drinking the elixir in one swallow.

**Kairi**

After saying goodbye, Kairi, Riku and Namine boarded the gummi ship with coordinates set for Master Yen Sid's tower. Kairi always liked going there, as it carried its own magic feeling. Whenever she climbed up those long flights of stairs, she couldn't help but feel like she was on the very edge of something great, teetering between the known and the unknown.

After all, the future wasn't always so intimidating. Sometimes it was exciting and full of light. Sort of how she was feeling right now. There were several mysteries to solve, and she was going to get to the bottom of them. She was going to find Sora if it was the last thing she did.

Master Yen Sid was waiting for them, sitting behind his desk, as he normally did. Mickey, Donald and Goofy were also there, having arrived shortly before the three. Riku closed the door behind him, and went over to say hello to Mickey.

"Good to see you all safe, Kairi, Riku and Namine." Yen Sid began. "I have heard from Mickey that you have heard some valuable information from our foes. Please elaborate."

"Yeah. Pete let something slip about a book of prophecies, and we were wondering if you knew anything about it. Namine said it sounded familiar from some of Sora's memories." Kairi explained.

"A book of prophecies, huh? I don't think I've ever heard of anything like that in my adventures. How about you fellas?" Mickey turned to Donald and Goofy, who could only nod their heads.

"That is very mysterious. Perhaps I have mention of it in one of my books." Yen Sid wondered.

There was a knock at the door.

"Come in, Aqua, Terra and Ventus."

Just as the old wizard had predicted, the three students of Master Eraqus entered the room, looking around to see who was there. They said their hellos to the others and then stood in front of the desk.

"Thank you for coming." Yen Sid noted to the three newcomers. "We have just learned of a book of prophecies that our foes are searching for."

"A book of prophecies? As in things about the future?" Aqua asked, surprised.

"Yes." Said Yen Sid.

"Wow, that would be incredible! Ventus stood in awe. "Do you think it actually exists?"

"It is hard to tell. Future reading is very difficult magic, and not always clear, at best." Yen Sid answered.

"Stranger things have happened." Terra noted.

"Do we have any other information about it?" Aqua inquired.

"The only thing we know is that it is somewhere in the memories of someone close to Sora. Namine said she might have come across it when she was looking for Lingering Will." Kairi discussed.

"Maybe it's somewhere in one of our memories, then. Sora didn't get much of a chance to hang out with us, so he doesn't know a lot about where we've been. And I spent so long with Ansem that even I don't know all that my heart knows." Terra mentioned.

"Do you think you could do a quick search, Namine?" Ventus asked.

"I'm afraid its not that simple." Namine shook her head. "It would take a substantial amount of time and magic to sweep through them all. You would also need to be asleep in order for it to work."

"It's at least worth a try, don't you think? Maybe you can see where Sora is in the meantime." Riku pointed out.

"I actually did see some memories last night." Namine stopped. She had seen Sora locked away in a castle, but didn't recognize it. She didn't want to upset Kairi with talk of an imprisoned Sora. It would only make her anxious to get going.

"Really? Where is he? Let's go!" Kairi grabbed Namine excitedly.

"I'm sorry, I don't know. It's somewhere I haven't seen before and it was only a snippet." Namine apologized.

"Sorry, Nami." Kairi let her go.

"Its okay, I understand." Namine placed a hand on Kairi's shoulder.

"You know, I think the memory pods are still in the mansion at twilight town. Do you think we could use them?" Riku suggested, changing the subject.

"I suppose it would be alright, as long as Terra is okay with going to sleep for a bit." Namine turned to Terra. "After all, it was in looking for you that I came across the information."

"If it'll help, then I'll do whatever it takes." He nodded.

"Riku, Aqua, Ven; do you think you could keep an eye on Kairi while I work with Terra?" Namine looked to each in turn.

"Nami, I'll be fine. You've seen me fight." Kairi protested.

"I'm not asking for your safety, Kairi. I know you can take care of yourself. I just want you to be surrounded by friends while you track down Sora." Namine smiled.

Kairi looked at Namine with a surprised glance. She actually felt that way? It seemed that every time she got left behind, someone would say it was for her safety. Maybe Namine understood because of the time she had spent inside Kairi's heart. From what Axel had told her during training, the first little bit of Namine's life was pretty terrible. Kairi was glad she had so many friends who loved her now.

"Oh, sorry. I hadn't thought of it that way. Thanks for thinking of me." Kairi smiled back.

"We'll be fine." Ven pumped a fist.

"Thank you." Namine relaxed.

"Wait." Riku interrupted. "Nam, I'm coming with you. I'm the only other person who knows how to use the pods besides Ansem the Wise and Mickey, and you might need an extra hand while you're working."

Namine's eyes widened for just a moment in surprise, and then a smile played at her lips. She knew Riku was right, and would enjoy his company. Still, she hoped he didn't feel like he felt obliged. There were enough of their friends around that she didn't have to worry about heartless, and her task was rather solitary.

"It'll be like old times." Namine chuckled.

"Then it is settled." Master Yen Sid acknowledged. "Mickey, what will you, Donald and Goofy do?"

"Well, we've been around to a lot of the worlds Sora's been to, but no one has seen anything of him. Since we learned about the book of prophecies being somewhere in other people's memories, I think we ought to try checking out some worlds that Terra, Aqua and Ven have visited. Maybe Sora will end up on one of the worlds that was close to Ven." Mickey surmised.

"A wise decision." Yen Sid confirmed. "Then may your heart be your guiding key."

Everyone stood at attention and then nodded. Down the stairs they headed to their individual ships. Since Kairi didn't have the armor that would allow her to fly between worlds, they decided to drop Riku, Namine and Terra off at Twilight town. The ride was thankfully short, and it wasn't long before they all found themselves standing at the base of the train station. High above them, Riku could barely make out seven pairs of legs hanging off the top of the building.

"Be safe, you guys." Namine gave Kairi a hug.

"We'll keep you posted if anything happens." Kairi replied.

Riku gave his friend a hug as well and waved back to Aqua and Ven, who were saying their goodbyes to Terra and heading back to the gummi ship. Kairi had wanted to say hello to Axel before heading out, but didn't want to stay longer than necessary. With Master Yen Sid's blessing, she was more excited than ever to go find Sora.

With a quick dial in Kairi's gummi phone, their friends were summoned and met them on ground level. Axel was the first one down.

"Kairi! Long time no see. What brings you three here? I thought you were out looking for Sora. Not that I mind the visit, of course." Axel greeted the three, bringing Kairi into a big hug.

"Hey Axel! I'm just stopping by for a quick hello and to drop these three off. I'm sure they'll explain everything after we leave, but I wanted to make sure I got to say hello before I head back out to find Sora." Kairi smiled

"I'm glad you did, kiddo. Want some ice cream? There were still some bars left in Ansem the Wise's stash back at the mansion." Axel offered.

"No thanks. We have an unstable lead to where Sora is, and I intend to follow it." Kairi noted.

"Then all the best of luck. You aren't going by yourself, are you?" Axel looked a bit worried.

"No, Aqua and Ven are coming with me." Kairi reported.

"Ah. You should be in good hands, then. Say hello to them for me." Axel waved.

"I will. See you soon, Axel!" Kairi called, as she walked away, heading towards the gummi ship.

"Well, welcome back, you two. Looks like things have been treating you well." Axel smiled. "You look good with some color, Namine."

"Thanks, I've had quite a few sunburns to show for it." Namine joked.

"How are things here, Axel?" Riku asked.

"Painfully quiet, but that's not a bad thing. Everyone is adjusting to normal life here."

"Namine!" Called two voices from the train station.

Before they knew it, Namine had been covered in a hug from Roxas and Xion, who were all too happy to see their friend. Riku had tensed up, preparing to move if they had ended up knocking her over. Riku still didn't care for Roxas the way that everyone else did, but he respected and trusted him, especially where Namine was concerned. Riku knew Roxas would protect Namine just as fiercely as himself, so he could be at ease a little more with the ex-nobody around.

Riku relaxed and had to laugh a little. Namine did look happy. She was busy answering questions pelted at her by the two friends. Isa was the last to come down, following Hayner, Pence and Olette. Terra stood off in the distance, a little unsure of how to react to the friends who had gathered. Normally he hung out with Aqua and Ven. While he knew that none of these people resented him for being a former villain (not of his own will and in good company with Axel and Isa), it was still hard to figure out how to integrate himself into the group.

"Hey, it's okay to mingle. You're not a puppet anymore." Riku placed a hand on Terra's shoulder.

Terra seemed surprised for a moment, and then a warm smile spread across his face. "I know. Sometimes it's just so hard to believe I'm here and everyone is safe. I spent ten years in the darkness, my heart and mind split in two and at war with each other. Now look at it. The worlds certainly have changed."

"I understand. There was a time in my life where I thought I was doomed to remain in darkness forever, too. But then I found my light in the dark." Riku admitted. "Namine helped me understand that light and dark aren't absolutely good or evil. They can work together. Mickey and Sora taught me that the light will never stop reaching in even the darkest of places, and Kairi taught me never to give up."

"Yeah. Aqua and Ven were like that for me, too." Terra replied.

"Riku, Terra! Don't be such loners. We're all heading to the old mansion. Namine said she'd fill us in on the way!" The girl grabbed their hands and began dragging them towards the group.

They made their way to the lonely old mansion. Since coming home, Axel, Isa, Roxas and Xion had made it their home. It was starting to fall apart bit by bit, but Axel and Isa worked during the day to fix it up as best as they could. It was still as large and spacious as Riku remembered. He had lived here only shortly with Diz and Namine, but he wouldn't say all of his memories were unpleasant.

"Where are these memory pods you guys mentioned?" Terra asked.

"They're downstairs. Diz had to hide it, as this place has a mystery attached to it and school kids like to come and explore." Riku pointed towards the library.

"Sorry, that one was my fault. Sometimes I'd take a break and look out the window to watch the people as they came close. I sort of became one of the seven mysteries of twilight town." Namine rubbed the back of her head.

"I remember seeing you once. I couldn't believe it." Roxas remembered. "Of course, that was in the other version of the town."

Riku and Namine led the group towards the library and activated the switch that would reveal the passageway down into Ansem the wise's workspace. The temperature had dropped slightly, and there was a buzz coming from the giant computer. A pile of smashed hardware was beside the terminal, where it had been since it was destroyed. As they turned another hall, Terra could see a few smaller memory pods lining the hallway.

Quickly, they entered a giant, white room with a large pod in the center. there was a small computer beside it that could tell a user the status of the person inside the pod. Terra looked in awe. He was going to be sleeping in that?

As if she could sense his question, Namine turned towards Terra and said," don't worry, it's actually quite comfortable in there."

"Thanks, I guess." Terra nodded. "Well, I guess this is it. I'll leave it up to you, Namine. Wake me up if you need me. I mean that. I don't intend to be on the sidelines any more."

Terra jumped into the pod and watched as the doors slowly closed. All of his new found friends were watching and waving, hoping that maybe something in his memory would bring Sora back. Or at the very least, help them understand what Maleficent and Pete were up to. The pod was shut, and the computers indicated that Terra had already fallen asleep. Namine guessed it was partially due to his time as Ansem's heartless guardian that he could switch from being alert to on the bench so quickly.

"Hey, how does dinner sound to everyone? Since Riku and Namine decided to join us, I'd say this calls for a celebration." Axel suggested.

"I'm alright. I'd like to get started, if it's all the same to you." Namine mentioned, pulling out her scratchpad and pencils.

"You sure, kid?" Axel asked. "The bistro is one of the best in the business."

"Yeah. You guys can just pick me up something and I'll eat it when you get back." Namine smiled, opening the pad.

"I'll stay too. Can you guys go get me a burger?" Roxas moved to sit next to Namine.

"Maybe we oughta get delivery?" Axel have a small sigh.

"It's fine. There's a couple of things I'd like to talk to Namine about, so it's no bother. I'll catch up by the time you get back." Roxas smiled.

"Okay, two burger supremes it is." Axel began walking away, leading the bulk of the group back upstairs.

"Come on, Riku. We have some catching up to do, too!" Xion motioned towards the keyblade master.

They followed Axel's lead and left the two alone with the pod. Namine was already sketching out a picture of Terra, Aqua and Ven.

"So is your drawing part of the magic?" Roxas asked.

"No, it just gives me a way to focus on the emotions of the memories I'm looking through and chaining together. It's usually more of a feeling I get, and that feeling leads me to draw according to what is in the person's heart."

"Oh yeah. That must be why there were so many pictures of Kairi when you were working on Sora."

"Yes. I had to put her back into his memories and restore her place in his heart. I feel like that alone made me understand him more than his actual memories."

Roxas was silent for a moment, staring between the pod where Terra slept and Namine's drawing. She continued to work, her face completely calm for the most part, with an occasional furl of the brow, as if she couldn't quite make out what memory she was looking at.

After a while of sitting in silence, Namine put her pad down and took a deep breath. Roxas looked up, a little surprised by the sudden noise.

"Any luck?" Roxas asked.

"Not yet. I have to go slow whilst looking through the memories Terra had while he was split. It looks like things are going to be a plicated from the get-go."

"How so?"

"I have to look through both the memories of Terra's heart and body. His Lingering Will was off and about during the ten year period, trying to find his friends." Namine explained.

"That is a lot." Roxas said simply.

"I'm going to go through those memories first, since Terra may have subconsciously come across a clue about the book of prophecies as Lingering Will." Namine bit her lip. "Besides, I'm not sure I'm quite ready to face his other memories."

"What's wrong with them?" Roxas was concerned.

"They're seeped in darkness. I can handle some, especially since Xehanort has been defeated and their magic isn't as deep." Namine chose her words carefully.

"But?" Roxas continued her sentence.

"But because of Xehanort's ability to time travel, the darkness in Terra's memories still have enough pull to rip out my heart, if I'm not careful. I could already feel it, even though I didn't go very far in." Namine continued.

"Is there anything we can do?" Roxas inquired.

"I'm not sure. I'll be thinking about it while I work through Lingering Will's memories." Namine decided.

"We'll help any way we can." Roxas assured.

"Thank you, Roxas." Namine sighed in relief.

There was another slight pause.

"You know, when we were nobodies- I thought very often about you. I wanted to do everything I could to keep you free, unlike what I had experienced. That somehow by freeing you, I could also be free." Namine admitted.

Roxas looked like he wanted to say something, but didn't have the words.

"I'm sorry. I just feel like I should tell you. Being the nobodies of Kairi and Sora, I also thought that we would always be together, simply because they were. But now I've come to see that we were slowly becoming our own selves. That nothing was set in stone."

Roxas nodded.

"And honestly, now that we have our own bodies, it's been its own kind of liberating to know that the future holds many secrets, and we can do what we want." Namine continued.

"What brought this up?" Roxas prodded.

"I just thought that since we had a moment alone, I'd give myself some closure. I'm sorry if it was a little awkward." A tear cascaded down Namine's cheek.

"No, I'm glad you were able to get it off your chest. H-hey, there's no need to cry! It's alright!" Roxas wasn't sure what to do in this situation, so he pulled her into a hug.

They sat like that for a moment, drinking in the connection they shared.

"I don't know why I'm crying. Sorry." Namine mumbled.

"It's alright. Being human has all sorts of new things to get used to. Are you hungry? Maybe tired?" Roxas fumbled for an explanation.

"I suppose I must be." Namine found herself smiling again.

"Glad to see you're back to normal." Roxas patted her shoulders and then pulled back out of the hug.

"If I'm telling you my innermost thoughts, I might as well get all of them. After some things happened with Riku, I felt like you were the only one left like me, so I started to get a crush on you. But now I see you more as the brother I never had. Can we settle it at that?" Namine chuckled as well.

"Sure thing, little sis." Roxas ruffled her hair. "You know, if I'm honest, I respected you so much. You were the first person to be completely honest with me, even though it hurt to learn everything. So, thank you."

Namine and Roxas's stomachs began to growl at the same time, causing more laughter between the both of them. They could hear some noises coming from upstairs, so they left to see what everyone had brought home for them. Much like they had promised, Roxas got a double decker burger with everything on it. They had picked up Namine some kind of fish dish with citrus accents and a side of asparagus and fruit.

They all slept in the open hall together that night, as it was the last one before school was to start. Their sleeping bags were arranged in a great big circle, so they could all see each other. It was late, and the only two who were still up were Riku and Roxas.

"So, Namine said she'd start working on Terra full time tomorrow." Roxas started a conversation.

Given their history, relations were a little distant. Riku didn't know if Roxas forgave him for all that he did, and Roxas had no clue what Riku thought of him. But after Namine had borne her soul to him earlier, Roxas felt the need to at least try to connect with Riku. Roxas could tell that Namine cared very much for him. If Namine, Axel and Xion could be friends with the man, maybe he could too.

"Yeah. I hope we can find something soon, so that we can help find Sora." Riku responded.

"He really is something, isn't he?" Roxas smirked.

"Yeah.he's the chain that binds all of us together." Riku nodded. "We've been friends for so long, it's kind of hard not knowing where he is, or what he's doing."

"I'm sure he's fine, wherever he is. Sora's the type to make friends out of almost everyone." Roxas assured.

"I know that. I just worry about him, you know? Axel keeps calling me a mother hen because of it." Riku confessed.

"I do, too. But he wouldn't want us to worry too much over him. That's one of the reasons why Xion and I decided to start school. We'll probably only be there for a year, but we wanted to know what a normal life would be like. I want to be out and about looking for him, but he wouldn't want us to give up everything and chase him." Roxas noted.

Riku was silent for a moment, considering Roxas's words. He was right, Riku knew. Sora would hate to hear if anyone put a pause on their life on his account.

Being a year older than Sora and Kairi, Riku had always made sure to keep an eye on Sora, Kairi, Rufus and Selphie. Wakka was Riku's age, but chances of him taking responsibility for the group were few and far between. But they were all growing up. Maybe it was getting close to time to let go.

"Hey, I know we got off on the wrong foot." Roxas interrupted Riku's thoughts. "Since you'll be here for a while, do you think you could help train Xion and I? After all, you and Aqua are the only two who have reached master status."

Riku was taken aback. "S-sure, I guess. I can't say that I'll have anything too much to teach you, but I can at least help your skills stay sharp."

"Thanks." Roxas lay down into his sleeping bag. "Good night, Riku."

"Goodnight, Roxas."


	6. A skipped chapter

A/N: Heads up, I haven't played Lightning or Bartz's games, and it's been forever since I played both Crisis Core and Dissidia, so you'll have to forgive me for any misunderstandings of their stories or personalities. There was a ton of research I had to do for the story moving forward, so I didn't get adequate timeqw to really get to know them. Sorry if I make them really far off the mark! Also, I accidentally uploaded the wrong Chapter. Sorry for the spoilers!!

**Kairi**

"Where are we headed first, Kairi?" Aqua asked, placing her hand on the girl's shoulder.

It spooked her a bit, as she had been deep in thought, and wasn't expecting the physical touch. Aqua apologized.

Despite having saved her when she was just a little girl, Aqua didn't really know Kairi. From what she had seen, she was a capable and valuable asset to the guardians of light, regardless of what had happened to her at the keyblade graveyard.

No one was really sure about what _had_ happened there. Kairi was there one moment, and gone the next. When everyone came home, Kairi refused to talk about it, the loss of Sora too fresh in her mind. Perhaps the truth would be revealed as they got to know one another. Aqua could only hope that they could get close enough to help each other heal. Kairi had gone through trauma, and really should talk to someone.

"Hey, there's Arendelle. And that little planet over there is Atlantis! And off in that direction is Daybreak Town!" Ventus was excitedly pointing out planets.

"What? How do you know all of their names and locations, Ven?" Aqua asked.

"Dunno. I just look up, and somehow I know." Ventus shrugged. "Maybe they're worlds Sora, Donald and Goofy traveled to."

"I recall Sora saying something about Arendelle's snow." Kairi mumbled. Her eyes were closed, and her hand was on her heart.

"Then Mickey already visited them. No use in having us check them." Aqua sighed.

"So where are we headed?" Ven asked the question again.

"We're close, I know it. I just can't tell which of these planets we're supposed to be on." Kairi seemed frustrated.

"Ven, are you feeling anything? You're pretty close to Sora too." Aqua nudged.

Ventus was silent for a minute. Then he looked up and pointed. "There."

"You sure?" Aqua asked.

"That feels right." Ventus nodded.

Kairi slowly activated the ship's thrusters, heading toward the new world that Ventus had pointed out. They landed the ship and jumped out, sand shifting beneath their feet. It had a similar feeling to destiny islands, but there were enough differences to tell it apart. For one thing, this island had a huge mountain in the middle. There were also large boats with simple designs on the sails sitting on the beach nearby. It was hard to tell what time of day it was because oof the gray sky and whistling wind.

"I wonder why we're here." Kairi asked, tracing a finger along one of the leaves of a flower nearby.

"Dunno. But we should find the locals and ask about Sora." Aqua decided.

They made their way into the forest, as there seemed to be a trail heading toward a village. As Ven followed behind Aqua and Kairi, he could have sworn he saw a dark something looking at him from within the foliage. He tried to see what it was, but by the time he got to take a second glance, the shape was gone. Curious. If asked, he would have sworn it was something human sized. Ven stood prepared to call out his keyblade, if necessary.

Further into the trees, the grove broke into a small clearing where a handful of large straw-roofed huts stood, smoke coming out of a few of them. There was the sound of people going about their day; women weaving and cooking, men in meetings and going out to go fishing. It was a quiet little town, but still happily humming along.

Just then, a young woman ran past our heroes, as if she were in dire need to get somewhere. She had long, curly hair and a red shirt and grass skirt. Sensing an urgency about her, Kairi, Aqua and Ven followed behind. As they ran down the path, heartless began to converge on the path ahead of the woman.

"I don't have time for this!" The girl threw a coconut that had fallen at the heartless, and it disappeared, with two more popping up in its place.

"We can take it from here!" Kairi called out.

The girl looked at them for just a moment, nodded and then continued running down the path. Our three heroes made haste to take out all of the heartless. Kairi recognized a few types of them, such as the powerwilds, but there at least two others that seemed to be tailor-made for this world. They were easily defeated, so the three met up in between the paths in a crossroad. The sky was growing dark, and the wind was picking up, a storm on its way.

"Wonder where she went." Ven started.

"And what was so important." Kairi added.

"Looks like rain. We need to find cover." Aqua began herding the two under a palm tree, to avoid being hit by lightning.

From the doorway of one of the nearby huts, the girl peered out, seemingly looking for the newcomers. When she spotted them underneath the palm tree, she gave a whistle to catch their attention and waved them over.

"Get inside. You never know what the lightning will do." She led them into a warm, dry home. "Thanks for the help. I was able to make it just in time."

"No problem." Kairi smiled. "What was going on?"

"We had a birth in the village. As the chief-in-training, I needed to be here." The girl pointed to the other side of the hut, which was obscured by a sheet hanging from the ceiling. "Who are you?"

"I'm Kairi, and this is Aqua and Ven." Kairi introduced them.

"Nice to meet you. My name is Moana. I'd show you around the island, but the weather is terrible, and there isn't much to see. We're a voyager people, and we only really just got here."

"That's okay, we understand." Kairi smiled.

"Yeah. I can't imagine moving your whole life like that. You guys have to start over, right?" Ventus asked, amazed.

"Our ancestors did it just fine, and we'll learn it too. We haven't been travelling much, but we're starting again." Moana responded, looking out the door. "It looks like the storm has slowed down. Why don't we head out to give the family some time to rest?"

Indeed, the storm had died down quite a bit. The wind slowed to a slight breeze, although the clouds still hung low over the island. Kairi wasn't surprised that it had passed by so quickly. She had seen plenty of fast moving storms on their island. She could remember huddling in the tree house with Selphie and the boys.Sora and Riku always took good care of her. Even though she was only the mayor's daughter, she felt like a real princess.

Much like Moana had said, there really wasn't much to the village. There were a handful of large huts and a few smaller ones, but the land remained mostly untamed. In the distance there were lush green mountains sprinkled with palm trees. Everything was so fertile here, and plants were practically everywhere. The many different colored flowers helped break up the solid greens, and had opened up fully to drink in the afternoon rain.

"Where are you from?" Moana made conversation.

"We're voyagers, too." Kairi told a half lie. "The island I come from looks so much like this one."

"What brought you to this island, then? Moana asked casually, knocking raindrops off a leaf as she walked past it.

"We're actually looking for someone, a voyager just like us. His name is Sora. Have you seen him?" Kairi asked, hope in her voice. "He has spiky brown hair and blue eyes. You can't miss his big yellow shoes."

"No, I'm sorry. No one new has come to this island. But, there are quite a few islands all over. Maybe he is on one of them?" Moana suggested.

"Do you have any way of contacting them?" Aqua followed up.

"No, not without sailing there and asking in person." Moana confirmed.

"Bummer." Kairi sighed. "Can you excuse us for a minute?"

Kairi, Ventus and Aqua huddled close together. "Maybe it was a mistake to come here. I know there are heartless, but they aren't our main goal here." Kairi whispered.

"As keyblade warriors, it's our responsibility to keep the light safe. We needed to be here to get rid of the heartless." Aqua retorted.

"I don't think that's the only reason though." Ven added.

"So a look around the island and then we go?" Kairi suggested.

"We need to get rid of the heartless first." Aqua nodded.

"Is there something I can help with?" Moana awkwardly tapped on Kairi's shoulder.

They all stood up abruptly, assuring Moana that everything was fine. There was the tiniest rustle in the trees next to the group, and Ventus looked over. He couldn't quite make out what was there, but it was small. An unversed, maybe? He slipped away in the blink of an eye while the girls were asking about if Moana the habits of the heartless around the island.

The leaves shook little by little, just a bit ahead of him. He started to run as best as he could, hoping to catch up to it. The movement stopped as something small made its way into the clearing. Between the shade of the trees and the clouds hiding the sun, it was hard to make out exactly what it was. But it wasn't an unversed. Was that...Chirithy?

"Chirithy, is that you, buddy?" Ven asked.

There was a surge of darkness, and then whatever was in the clearing was gone. Less than a moment later, the branches were rustling again, and who should be at Ven's feet but his Chirithy. It was hard to tell what had transpired, or how the Chirithy had even gotten there. Ventus had questions he wasn't sure would get answered.

"Hey, I felt some darkness pretty close by, and I thought I'd check up on you. Are you okay, kiddo?"

"Yeah…" Ventus said, dumbfounded.

"it's just so easy to get lost in here. I nearly lost track of your scent." Chirithy admitted.

"Scent?" Ven asked.

"Yeah. Some special people are born with the gift to smell the difference between light and darkness, so my creator gave me the ability, too. You smell like a cinnamon bun."

"Your creator? I always assumed you were born from the light in my heart." Ven explained.

"Kind of." Chirithy added.

"Who was your creator?" Ven inquired.

Chirithy was about to answer when Aqua nearly tackled ventus to the ground.

"Ven, there you are! I was worried! It seems like something always happens when you go off on your own." Aqua looked into her friend's eyes.

"Aqua, I'm just fine. See, I even found Chirithy." Ven pointed to his friend.

"Sorry, Ven. I just spent so long alone, that I forget how strong you've become. Sometimes I still see you as that little boy who just got his first keyblade." Aqua apologized.

"It's okay. Say, chirithy, how'd you get here, anyway?" Ven turned to his friend.

"Oh, it's an ability I have. I can follow your heart because you and I are bonded." Chirithy said happily.

"That's really cool!" Ven smiled, picking up his friend. "Want to come try and find Sora with us?"

"Sorry, but I think it's just a little too hot for someone with a fur coat. I'll keep an eye out for him in the final world, though!" Chirithy jumped out of Ventus's arms and disappeared.

"Come on, let's go find Kairi." Aqua smiled.

Aqua and Ven made their way out of the clearing and back through the thick trees and branches, swatting leaves out of their paths. Ventus didn't realize just how far into the thicket he had gone. Thoughts of the dark figure plagued his mind. He hadn't been nearly as relaxed here as Kairi had been, feeling eyes watching him the whole time. Maybe it was just the heat getting to him. The humidity was something completely foreign to him, too. A dip in the ocean wouldn't be an unwelcome move.

"One more question before we check that out; have you had any dreams lately? Like maybe someone approached you and talked to you about light and dark?" Kairi noted.

"No, most of my dreams are of my grandmother. she was very important to me, and is still helping me. She gives advice and reassurance when I need it." Moana admitted.

"Okay, thanks." Kairi responded.

Ventus and Aqua made their way over to the two women and caught the very tail end of their conversation. Kairi smiled when she saw Ventus safe and sound, and Moana excused herself.

"Moana said there was someone she knew who could help us do a quick search for Sora. Apparently, he should show up around dinner time tonight. We're also invited to eat with them, and meet this guy." Kairi reported.

"Great. I'm famished." Ventus admitted.

"What do you suppose we should do in the meantime?" Aqua looked around.

"I thought we might patrol for heartless. That could be the reason we ended up here." Kairi suggested.

"Sounds good. I've been feeling like someone has been watching us all afternoon, so maybe we'll find them." Ventus placed his hands behind his head, similar to how Sora used to stand. It made Kairi laugh.

"What's so funny?" Ven got out of his stance.

"Sorry, the way you stood just now reminded me of Sora. He would stand like that all the time, particularly when he had just said something that made him feel smart or cool." Kairi smiled again.

"That's what happens when you live with someone for 10 years, I guess. Don't laugh too hard, Kairi, you're looking at your future right here." Ventus retorted.

Aqua just rolled her eyes and smiled. She was glad the two could have a laugh, despite all of the trouble they had been through recently. If anyone deserved it, they did. After all, they were just kids. Aqua herself may have been just a couple of years older than they (or a decade older, if you wanted to get technical about it), but she couldn't imagine just how much they had gone through already. She felt like a proud mama.

**Sora**

After hours of walking, Lightning gave the sign for the party to stop and take a break. They had been making slow progress along the way to wherever they were going, as heartless of all shapes and forms kept getting in front of them and needed to be destroyed. Thankfully they were mostly small fry at this point, but Sora hadn't had a workout that intense in a long time. Perhaps he should rethink his decision to join with these three. They weren't even close to being tired, unless they were really good at hiding it.

"I think we lost them." Lightning gave a small sigh of relief.

"Who'd think they'd be that persistent?" Bartz replied, taking small, heavy breaths.

"The important thing is that we were able to get the book." Zack smiled. "Dinner's on me, guys!"

"Not just yet, Zack. We have to get the book back first. We still have a long way to go before getting back into town." Lightning gave a gentle reminder.

"We'll get there eventually. At least it's warm out here." Bartz added.

The fields outside were vast and green, but also nearly devoid of anything other than grass. As they had been travelling, a giant clock tower had been slowly growing larger, with a whole city under it. Sora couldn't tell how much further they had left to go, but seeing it get closer had raised his spirits. He had seen all sorts of different worlds through his travels, and each one brought new joy and experiences. Excitement was bubbling in his heart.

"So, where are we going?" Sora asked.

"Little place called Daybreak town. It's not all that pretty- only a few people have really lived there for years- but it's a suitable place for our needs." Lightning responded.

"Yeah, but Ignis sure makes some pretty great food!" Zack added.

"His demands for 'proper' ingredients can get a little overbearing, though." Bartz remembered.

"It'll be fun to meet everyone." Sora interjected.

"We'll have to return the book immediately, so you'll probably get to meet just about everyone at dinner." Lightning mentioned.

"Oh yeah!" Sora perked up. "What's so special about this book, anyway?"

"Dunno. But our leader asked for it. He needed a couple of other items too, but we have no lead on any of them." Bartz noted.

"Like what?" Sora propositioned.

The three stared at each other for a moment, as if wondering how much information to divulge. So far, Sora had been a really useful member of the party, but there was still a little uncertainty in their minds. He had been found in Maleficent's head quarters. She had set up a trap. Who knew if the two were connected. Perhaps they would need to take him to their leader after all.

"Oookay, sorry I asked." Sora finished, seeing their inability to answer him.

"It's not like that, Sora. We know you're cool. We just need to be careful who we trust with this sensitive information. I'm sure we'll be able to tell you soon enough." lightning assured him.

"I get it. It's just something I'm not quite used to, that's all." Sora gave a thumbs up.

"Thanks for understanding." Lightning smiled softly.

Sora nodded and continued walking. There was a small spot in his chest that slowly grew warmer the closer they reached town. The name sounded so...familiar, although he was certain he had never heard of it before. As far as he remembered, this had never happened to him before. It was so peculiar a feeling.

"Sora, are you okay to keep going?" Lightning placed a hand on his shoulder, snapping him out of his daze.

"Yeah, sorry. I just lost it for a minute, I guess." Sora chuckled.

"We can slow down if you need." Zack offered.

"No, I'm alright. It just feels familiar here, even though this is my first time visiting." Sora nodded.

They continued to walk towards the town, the bell tower looming high above them in the distance. Zack rattled idly on about something; Sora wasn't paying attention. Instead, he found himself feeling something somber. They had gotten to the edge of the town now, and the farthest edge of town was silent. Grass was growing through the cracks in the cement and brickwork, and the houses looked dilapidated.what had happened here?

"Come on, we promised our leader we'd meet him at the old fountain." Zack ushered everyone.

As soon as Sora had seen the fountain, he understood why the town felt so familiar. He had seen it in the pool while in the darkness. There was no doubt about it, this was the saw fountain, although the water had been stopped up, and it seemed like no one had maintained it in years.

The houses here looked to be in a little better shape here, although there were still several plants pushing up through the cracks. Upon closer inspection, the fountain seemed to have had some repairs recently, probably within the last 5 or 10 years.

Sitting upon the fountain was a man who looked to be in his late thirties or early forties. He had black hair tied up in a low, short ponytail and a fedora across his brow. A single white feather was sticking out of the hat's side. Thin-wired glasses perched across his nose, and he wore a black coat with a few bracelets and some silver earrings.

"We're back." Zack waved casually to the man.

"Welcome back. You brought a visitor, I see."

"This is Sora. He was chained to the wall in the castle. He helped us escape." Lightning explained.

"I see." The man pulled his lips into a tight smile. "Welcome to daybreak town, Sora. My name is Brain. I am the leader here."

"Nice to meet you." Sora gave a nod.

"Where are you from, Sora?" The man asked.

"I'm from kind of far away." Came the response.

"Hmm, didn't give a straight answer. You can drop the act, you came from another world, don't you?" Brain surmised.

Sora's look of surprise only made Brain laugh.

"I'm no stranger to travel, friend, although I've been here for quite some time."

"Well, that's two times today I've been caught off guard." Sora admitted.

"That tends to happen a lot around here. Ever since the town was abandoned, things have been left up in the air." Brain stood up. "Did you get what I asked for?"

"Yeah. Here it is." Lightning fished the book out of her bag.

"Excellent. You three have done good work." Brain smiled, placing the book under his arm.

"Do you have a lead on the other items?" Zack stretched.

Brain looked at Sora, and then to the other three. "I'm afraid we can't talk about that here."

"I know, I know, I'm a stranger. How can I show you guys I'm a friend?" Sora pled.

There was a pause among the other four. Lightning, Zack and Bartz looked away, not sure of what to say. Brain's face remained stoic and unchanged, eyes staring back into Sora's. He seemed like he was looking into Sora's mind, looking for anything that might prove to be a hindrance to trusting them. A slight smile eventually met his lips, as he placed a hand in one of his pockets.

"I think I know of something that will help both of us. We have scoured through this town and have gotten most of the heartless to go away. But up in the bell tower, there is a fairly powerful heartless. Go with these three and get rid of it, then we'll trust you " brain settled.

"No problem!" Sora summoned his keyblade and placed it over his shoulder.

Brain eyed the weapon, but did not say anything. Instead, he adjusted his glasses and turned to head off to his own living space, Sora guessed to pour over the contents of the book. Lightning, Zack and Bartz nodded as well and then sat down at the fountain.

"Well, don't you guys want to get started? Sora looked to the bell tower in the distance.

They looked at each other uneasily.

"It'll be a piece of cake! I've dealt with powerful heartless before. And sure, I'm not as strong as I was a short time ago, but we can take them." Sora smirked.

"Its not that, Sora. None of us have heard of a heartless in the bell tower. And if its powerful, then we must have been gone longer than we thought." Bartz explained.

"Are you suggesting Brain would lie?" Sora looked in amazement.

"No, it's just odd, that's all." Zack reassured.

Lightning kept her lips taut in a stoic manner. "We know and trust Brain. He's just careful about who he trusts."

"How did he become leader, anyway? Did something happen in the past?" Sora scratched his head.

"Most of us were born and bred here, except for Zack and our friend Rinoa." Bartz started.

"What can I say, I've done some travelling in my day." Zack did a couple of squats.

"Anyway, we learned Brain had recently revived the world from what it used to be after it came back from falling to darkness. They called it Scala Ad Caelum. I hear some pretty powerful fighters have come from here." Bartz continued.

"Brain is really good about keeping us safe, even if we don't always understand his methods." Lightning added.

"He likes to keep to himself, mostly, but he will mingle when needed." Zack stopped his squats. "Well, we may as well get going, then. If there is a huge heartless in the bell tower, its time for it to leave."

The group walked further into town, and as he had seen before, the homes further into town were better maintained. There were houses everywhere, and they were kept very closely together. some houses had plants in the window. It was hard to say that the town was ugly, despite the tight spaces and shade cast by the buildings.

Eventually, after quite a few twists and turns, they found an open plaza that was just below the clock tower. High above, the clock tower sat, awaiting their entry. Sora felt a dark presence, that was for sure. But something about it felt a little off. it was different than how he felt around any other heartless. But the dark aura that surrounded them was clear and unmistakable; it was pure darkness and needed to be eliminated.

Sora ran up the side of the building, much to his friend's surprise. Zack gave a holler as he leapt up the side of the wall, landing in the windows when he needed a foothold. Lightning followed suit, as she rolled her eyes at Zack and Sora's eager attitude.

"I'm just going to take the stairs, then!" Bartz called up to his friends. He took a breath and then ran inside.

The day had warmed up considerably, and the sun shone down on Sora's face. He was exhilarated to be back out in the fray. Sure, he was worried about his friends, but it felt right to be here, beside Zack, Lightning and Bartz. Even though he didn't know Brain very well, he hoped to make friends with him, too. Getting back home to Kairi was the most important thing, but being here and helping his new friends to protect their home was also important.

Looking over, he noticed that the time on the clock read 12:00. Their travels must have taken them more time than he thought. As Sora broke out of his run and landed in the bell tower, he could instantly feel his emotions change. Although they couldn't change the way he felt fully, there was a twinge of despair and anger in his heart. Was he ever getting home? Why wouldn't Brain trust him?

No, that was the doing of the darkness. Sora must have gotten very close to it because of all the times he had used the power of waking.he prayed that this feeling would dissipate as they defeated the heartless.

Speaking of the heartless, it wasn't just one, it looked like-minded a collection of them. Except, instead of their regular body shapes, these looked like little pillows, with simplified designs and enormous eyes. They were almost cute, in a way. They started to fall right above Sora though, and that was not cute. With a quick roll, Sora attempted to avoid being squished, but he wasn't fast enough. Thankfully Zack had just arrived, and managed to pull him to safety.

"Thanks, you're my hero!" Sora smiled.

"All in a day's work!" Zack quipped. "Now, let's teach this thing a lesson!"

The pile put itself back together, pirate, soldier and powerwild heartless tsums stacking on top of each other. It bounced a little, as each layer reacted to the movement of the one below it. They were coming in for another attack. Lightning called down a powerful fire spell, which got its attention to turn away from Sora and Zack. That worked. It began to charge, to which Lightning pulled out her sword and leapt into the air. With a slash, lightning landed on the floor and tucked into a roll. Sora leapt over her, throwing his keyblade at the monster, and Zack utilized water magic.

Slowly but surely, they whittled down the health of the heartless until it had been defeated, a large heart glittering through the air and then disappearing. Heavy wheezing could be heard from the stairwell, and only Bartz's head could be seen from where the three were standing. He had slipped down, exhausted from the climb up.

"So" he struggled to say between breaths. "Did I miss anything?"

They all laughed as Zack and Sora offered to help carry him down the stairs. With Bartz on Zack's back, they made their way back down the many flights of stairs and through the town. The fight hadn't taken very long, and didn't clear out hardly any supplies. The way Brain talked about the heartless, Sora had expected a much more difficult fight. Had he all of his powers, he likely could have taken it on his own.

"So, you're back." Brain said simply as he leaned on the old fountain.

"Yeah. That heartless is all gone." Sora smiled.

"Excellent. I knew you'd beat my simulation." Brain purred.

"Simulation?" Sora cocked his head.

"As in, not real?" Zack was flabbergasted. "You're kidding me!"

"I thought so." Murmured Lightning.

"What was the simulation for?" Sora's shoulders slumped a bit.

"To test you. I have data of your battle techniques. You fought well, and I feel I can trust you now." Brain adjusted his hat.

Sora was a little confused. As best as he could figure, the technology Brain was using was similar to the AR device Hiro let them use while in San Fransokyo. He still didn't quite understand a lot about the technology that people around him used; it was almost like a new kind of magic. Would wonders ever cease? Sora hoped not. There had been so many new and interesting things he had seen and learned in just the last year or so. He couldn't imagine what it would be like to have stayed on the island. He almost felt bad for Tidus, Wakka and Selphie. He wondered if they thought about what had happened to Riku Kairi and himself.

"Sora, I asked you a question." Brain gave a knowing look, waiting for an answer.

"Sorry, I was just thinking about home. What's up?"

"I was wondering if you might come join me in my office. We have some things we need to discuss." Brain stood up.

"S-sure. Where is it?"

"Follow me."

Brain and Sora walked up a similar path as the one that took them to the bell tower. They had to pass through a waterway, and pipes accompanied their lonely trek. The sound of water running was the only thing that could be heard. It was a little dark in the hallway, and Sora had to squint to see. Getting tired of the strain, Sora conjured up a fireball to use as light. He wondered why Brain kept his office so far removed if the fountain was the most common meeting place. He seemed quite mysterious, maybe he just liked his privacy.

As they emerged from the underground tunnel, Sora saw a large courtyard surrounded by more buildings. Brain had said they were almost there- everything looked familiar...they were back at the bell tower! It was curious that they had taken a different path, especially when Sora had literally just been here. As he looked up to face the building, an odd thought struck him. Why was the clock still reading 12:00? It had been quite a bit of time since they had been here last, and he was certain that he could faintly hear the big thing ticking and gears turning on the inside.

There were so many questions he wanted answers to, but Sora had the feeling he wouldn't find them here. Maybe he could get some out of Zack, Lightning and Bartz tonight in camp. Then again, if Brain hadn't told them, chances were good he wasn't going to tell him either.

"So, you came from another world." Brain began, opening a door in front of him. They had gone around back and found their way through a decrepit garden.

"Yeah. I live on an island." Sora noted, placing a hand along the cool stone wall.

"I see. Do you have a chirithy?" Brain asked nonchalantly.

"A chirithy? No, but I know one. Although I'm not sure if you can come back from where we met." Sora rubbed his head.

"Then I suppose those nightmare chirithy are gone, too." Brain mumbled.

Sora glanced at him, confused. Brain simply smiled and waved a hand in front of his face, as if he were shooing the thought high above his head. The smile Brain gave him made Sora feel a little more at ease, although he could feel his curiosity nagging at him. Sora wondered if the Chirithy he met had found his friend. And why it had been waiting in the final world.

Remembering his time in the final world, Sora was reminded of the star he spoke to. She was looking for someone. Even though he promised it would be their secret, surely he didn't have to tell anyone why he was looking. Maybe Brain would know something.

"Say, Brain. Do you know everyone around here?" Sora started as casually as he could.

"Yes, why do you ask?" Brain answered.

"Do you know anyone by the name of Lauriam?"


	7. continuation

Okay everyone, here is the next chapter. I just barely got through BBS and haven't gotten everything down yet, so forgive me for continuity errors. also I know Sora went straight to Shibuya, but i only just learned it, so my lore still stands. please let me know what you think. it really helps motivate me and readjust tiny details. Enjoy! Also, thanks to Lotus-sketching for help with Riku's scent ability!

**Riku**

It was 6:30 am, and everyone except for Riku was getting ready for the day. He buried himself further into the sleeping bag on the floor. Last night was not conducive for sleeping, but thankfully, Roxas felt the same way. About an hour after they had said good night, they were both up again, talking far into the wee hours of the night.

It was nice that they had been able to get to know one another better. Riku could feel the weight of guilt for he and Xion's deaths lift off his shoulders. It would be a while before they would be good friends, but at least he didn't have to feel awkward around the key bearer anymore. Riku could feel someone prodding his back, urging him to wake up. Normally he could handle small snatches of sleep. But it had been so long since he had gotten a full night, that he instinctively gave a murmur, hoping we wouldn't need to physically get up.

"Riku? Sorry to wake you up, everyone's just heading out. I wanted to let you know so you don't freak out when you wake up and the room is empty." A soft voice entered into his ears. It was Namine.

Riku stuck his hand out of his sleeping bag and gave a thumbs up. He could hear them all leaving, when all of a sudden, it was silent. With a sigh, Riku got settled back into his sleeping bag and went right back to sleep.

When he woke back up, the sun was still sitting low in the sky, twilight flooding in through the windows. For a moment, he wondered if he had slept too long, but then he remembered where he was. As he sat up, he noticed a couple of sandwiches, an apple and a bag of chips on a plate near his head.

"Thanks Namine." Riku smiled as he grabbed the lunch and began to eat.

He didn't realize how famished he was until he finished his first sandwich. After wolfing down the rest, he made his way to the white room, where Namine normally worked. Surprisingly, she wasn't there. Riku liked around the rest of the mansion, hoping to find her there. He didn't see any sign she had been there. Her sketch pad was by the pod where Terra slept, but beyond that, every where was silent as the grave.

Riku decided to peek out the front door, as sometimes he could convince her to go outside for fresh air, but she would never go near the garden courtyard in back. He wondered about that, sometimes. When they were younger, Kairi loved to make flower crowns and bouquets for he and Sora. The mainland was full of all different types of flowers, and they always matched together quite well.

As Riku stepped out, he could feel Namine's presence nearby. It was an after effect of wearing the blindfold for so long. Curiously though, she was the only one that he could sense anymore. With everyone else, he relied on his eyes and nose. She always smelled like vanilla with a hint of some flower. Big red ones with little petals.

"Asters." Namine stated.

"What?"

"That's the answer to the question you ask when you make that face. You say I smell like vanilla and asters." Namine stepped to stand in front of Riku.

"That's right." Riku remembered.

Namine nodded. "How did you sleep?"

"It was good, I needed it. Thanks for letting me sleep in. How was working with Terra?" Riku looked at his tiny friend.

She instead moved her gaze down and began to nervously play with her hands. Riku could sense some hesitancy.

"Everything okay?" He placed a hand on her shoulder

"Well, no. It's been a little rough." Namine admitted. "There's so much darkness around his memories. I had to get out before too long. Now that I have a heart, I can't spend too long around Xehanort's influence."

"Anything I can do to help?" Riku looked worried.

"That's the part I can't stand. I don't know how to get past this darkness, and I don't know how to get assistance." Namine ran a hand through her hair.

"Do you think we could just wake Terra up and ask him about it?" Riku suggested.

"That's the problem; it's not Terra. Its Xehanort's influence. I don't think I'd ever be able to forgive myself if I somehow meddled and allowed some past version of himself to return. He'd hurt you. A-and Sora, and Kairi!" Namine grew red, quickly adding on the last part.

Riku felt his own face grow a little warm, but he pushed the feeling down.

"Besides," Namine changed the subject. "Sora is in some town with a clock tower."

"You were looking at his memories again last night? Did you get any sleep?" Riku asked, worried.

"I couldn't help it. I want to find Sora." Namine stated.

After a short pause, Riku started, "Did you happen to hear Roxas and I talking?"

"No. I realized you both were having a conversation, but I had to concentrate on searching through the memory links. Without my sketch pad, it was even harder than normal. It took everything I had just to do that quickly." Namine explained.

"You should take a break." Riku smiled. "What time is it, anyway?"

"It's almost noon." Namine looked at the sky. "And yet it's twilight."

"Yeah, that's going to take some getting used to." Riku added.

"Hey, why don't we go get something to eat? You can talk about what you've been seeing and decompress a little bit." Riku offered a hand out for Namine.

"That sounds great." Namine smiled. Maybe it really was going to be like old times.

The bistro was really packed, but Riku and Namine were able to find a corner table in the very back, right next to the kitchens. Although waiters were seemingly walking in and out increasingly, the restaurant was loud enough for the two to talk without having to worry about anyone overhearing them.

"After looking through lingering will's memories yesterday, I had the thought that if Maleficent and Pete knew about and were looking for the book, perhaps Xehanort would know something, too. So I've skipped most of his memories for now until I can figure out how to contain the darkness." Namine commenced.

"What did you find?" Riku asked.

"Sadness. A lot of anger and even more regret. It made me sad." Namine looked down at her hands in her lap. "He loved them, Riku. He loved Aqua and Ven so much. I haven't made it to the memories of how he fell into darkness yet, but even after he was possessed, they were all he longed for."

Riku could only reach out a hand for Namine to take. Her eyes were starting to water, and one solitary tear trickled down her face.

"Oh, sorry!" Namine wiped the tear away and then noticed Riku's outstretched hand. She took it, gratefully.

"But he spent years trying to resist. He never lost hope that one day he'd find his way back to Aqua and Ven."

"So where was lingering will all that time?" Riku questioned.

"It went to so many worlds, but it stayed in the shadows, mostly. Terra's mind never stopped." Namine gave Riku's hand a squeeze.

"Ever since Terra came back, I've started to remember when he came to my island and I held the keyblade for the first time. I could sense some sadness him then, too. " Riku admitted.

"That's partially my fault you can't remember, actually." Namine looked sheepishly.

"Why do you say that?" Riku looked perplexed.

"Xennas gave an order for me to erase any memory of Terra, Aqua or Ventus. He didn't want to risk you guys getting the notion that you could save them before he restored Kingdom Hearts. He figured if you didn't remember them, then they'd have no chance of being saved." Namine explained. "Marluxia threatened me in his own ways if I couldn't perform."

"They never hurt you, did they?" Riku squeezed Namine's hands.

"Larxene did once, and Marluxia once threatened my life. I don't think I could ever face them again." Namine was quiet.

"Don't worry about them." Riku assured. "They're human now, and we're not even sure what world he's on. But if we ever see him again, I promise I'll keep you safe."

"Thanks, Riku." Namine smiled.

"Always, Nam." Riku smiled back.

Their food arrived, and they began to eat. They ate in companionable silence, listening to the chatter of the people all around. It was unsurprisingly busy, as the lunch hour moved on.

"You know, there is one other thing that I'm curious about." Namine admitted.

"What's that?" Riku asked.

"Vanitas. He is Ventus' darkness. How does that even work? He went back into Ventus somewhere, although it's very deep and quite weak. Do you think he'll be back?" Namine wondered.

"I don't know. Xehanort kept coming back, so I suppose anything could happen." Riku shrugged. "Is he a big part of Terra's memory?"

"More so in Ven's memories, but he was one of the reasons Terra fell to darkness." Namine confirmed.

"I'm sure it'll be alright. We've been through hard things before, we can do it again." Riku decided. "In the meantime, I think I figured out a way to help you wander through Terra's memories."

"You have?" Namine perked up.

"Yeah, me." Riku smiled.

"How would it work?" Namine asked.

"I can help siphon darkness off you when you're going through the memories. I was possessed by Ansem a couple of times too, remember?"

"That's right." Namine sighed. "I trust you, Riku."

They finished their lunches and headed back, ready to get to work fishing through Terra's memory. Namine was admittedly a little worried, but she trusted Riku more than she trusted herself. Although she was technically born of darkness and had been able to utilize dark portals without being tainted, she still grew wary of the darkness. She still was getting used to being a human and having a heart. She didn't want to lose it now.

Picking up her sketch pad, Namine sat down in front of Terra's pod. It was slow going at first, as Namine had to go through either Sora and Ventus or Riku's memory of the man. She normally relied on the memory of a far away beach a long time ago. The sun was warm on her cheeks, as it went across the sky, blending reds and oranges. A burdened man and trusting child sowed the seeds of destiny.

As she followed the chains, Namine felt the warmth of the sun leave her skin. Instead, she felt two strong and calloused hands placed on her shoulders. Riku must have been sitting close to her so as to sense the air around her. she felt glad that he had so many different ways to detect darkness, and was proud of how far he had come. She trusted him with absolutely everything.

Namine felt as if the darkness in Terra's memory were waves of the ocean; first they swirled around her feet. Then it slowly slid up her ankles and shins. Before she knew it, she was knee deep in darkness. The black crayon she colored with scratching against the paper. Terra had felt trapped, Namine knew. His heart was aching to be free.

She swam through memories of Xehanort scheming with Xemnas, of an attempted kidnapping of Ansem the wise in the realm of darkness, and of being awoken after being defeated by Sora. The darkness came up around her waist now, as she pulled the chains. It was still fairly easy, but everything around her was pitch black. It had grown cold, too, making the chains of memory hard to work with. Namine herself even began feeling sluggish.

What brought her back was the feel of Riku's hands as he slightly readjusted and gave her a small, comforting squeeze. His hands brought warmth and light. The light wasn't so bright that she couldn't see; it was Riku's light that was tinged with darkness. The area around her looked as if she had turned on a lamp in a dark room. It gave her the strength to keep going.

Ansem stayed in the final world for a long time, Terra gaining power over the darkness most of the time. Namine guessed Master Xehanort had his hand in so many other people's lives that he was weaker than Terra's brilliant heart.

Perfect. Namine thought. I can use this as a shortcut to Terra's memories.

The dark ocean seemed to ebb a little, raising and lowering as Namine worked through Terra's memory. The whole thing was tragic. Namine kept herself as far from her emotions as she could. She saw exactly how similar they were. Reliving through Terra's heart, Namine's own mind reeled back to Castle oblivion. The guilt and pain she had felt and caused weighed her down, occasionally letting the dark ocean splash her face. it was up to her shoulders as she had worked through everything that happened at the keyblade graveyard.

Suddenly, she felt her heart beat faster, feeling a rush of pure power. It was moving faster almost every minute, and she didn't know how much longer she was going to be able to last. Namine forced herself to work faster, going through Neverland, Deep Space and the Olympus Coliseum.

"Nam, you've gotta come back! The darkness is getting to be too much!"

Riku's arms were beginning to be covered in black, inky tendrils. She had admittedly gone further than she had meant to. Namine assumed the darkness was beginning to get so thick because of the firm hold the darkness had had in Terra's heart. Thankfully, she would be able to start here next time, slowly making it through his memory a little bit at a time.

"Thanks, Riku." Namine smiled, breathing heavily.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Namine replied as she closed her eyes and fell forward, dropping her supplies.

Riku caught her and tried to sit her upright. Namine's eyes were clear, and she was speaking coherently, but her body had gone limp. She apologized profusely and tried her best to do it herself, but nothing was working.

"Its fine, nam. A trip like that had to have been exhausting. Why don't you rest here a bit and then tell me what you saw?" Riku laid Namine on the ground, keeping her head in his lap, sleeping almost immediately.

"Thanks, Riku." Namine whispered in her sleep.

"Well what do you know, this IS getting to be like old times." A voice came from the direction of the door.

Riku looked over to see Axel, holding a paper shopping bag of sorts. Riku couldn't dare move without upsetting the sleeping Namine, but he was more embarrassed than he had been in a long time. It wasn't what it looked like ...whatever that was. With his face burning up, Riku did his best to deny Axel's insinuations.

"What do you mean, like old times?" Riku tried not to move, or else disturb Namine.

"I found you guys cuddling together all the time in the wee hours of the morning while you were trying to get Xion and Roxas to rejoin with Sora. That is, before you got a bit of a face swap. But anyway, don't worry; I won't tell Roxas. I just came to drop off a gift for Namine. It should help make her work a little bit easier." Axel smirked.

"Why would- " Riku started, a little confused.

"You'll understand when you're older. Experience more things and you'll find the answer." Axel ruffled Riku's hair and set the bag down. "I know she just overdid it."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Riku looked between the man and the bag he had brought in. Ansem had told Riku that there was so much more to seek out in the world, and to go about learning what he could. Perhaps he and Axel were on the same page, somehow. As the flame-haired man walked away, Riku grabbed the bag and looked inside. It was an electric drawing tablet with art apps already installed. With a nod of his head, Riku could only smile.

**Kairi**

It wasn't long before Kairi found herself seated at dinner with huge helpings of rice, meat and fruit toppled in front of her. Eating the entirety of the plate shouldn't be a problem; she hadn't had much all day and was starving. Since they had found Ven, Moana lead them on a trip of the island, they had fought some heartless and sailed to a neighboring island with no luck of finding Sora. Kairi hadn't been discouraged, though. Moana was a good hostess and greatly lifted the mood.

They had only started dinner when from the distance the cry of a giant bird could be called. Without much fanfare, it swooped down over the feast, some people ducking and others with a bemused look on their faces. The bird landed down beside Moana, and with a flash of light, transformed into a large man with many tattoos and shoulder length hair.

"Wow, wonder who that is." Kairi looked in awe.

"The name is Maui, demigod of the wind and seas at your service." He introduced himself, suddenly standing behind Kairi. "And who might you be?"

"Hi, I'm Kairi, this is Aqua and he's Ventus." Kairi pointed.

"Call me Ven" Ventus smiled.

"So, which one of you wants me to sign an oar?" Maui held up an oar in excitement.

"Maui" Moana smiled and rolled her eyes.

"Kidding, kidding." Maui smiled and went to sit in his spot.

"Maui, there are my new friends. I was hoping you would be able to help them out. They're looking for a friend of theirs who is also a voyager. It seems they were recently separated and need to get back together." Moana explained.

"Of course, of course. You gotta wait until morning though. Hawk eyes do not work quite as well at night." Maui decided.

"Thank you so much!" Kairi smiled.

"What kind of fellow am I looking for?" Maui asked.

"He has spiky brown hair, clear blue eyes and probably the biggest, most goofy grin you can imagine." Kairi noted.

"Okay, I'll keep an eye for him. Now, let's eat!" Maui pulled his legs out from underneath him and sat down.

Moana and Maui got to talking about all of the things he had seen on his adventures, and Kairi could see many of the islanders and Ven listening in on it intently. She turned to Aqua and began a conversation of her own.

"So if we have to wait for Maui to search until tomorrow, what do you suppose we should be doing?" Kairi asked.

"With as many creatures that are running around here, we should do some investigations, try and figure out where they're coming from." Aqua replied. "Maybe that was what Ven saw in the forest."

"I don't know. The presence didn't feel quite the same. It was a bit darker and a little more sad than usual." Kairi noticed.

"I felt that, too. You really have grown so much, Kairi." Aqua smiled.

"Thanks, but I still have a way to go." She looked down.

"No one is blaming you for what happened in the keyblade graveyard. Xehanort is to blame, not you." Aqua tried to look the girl in the eye. "What did happen there?"

Kairi didn't move, although Aqua noticed her body tense up a little. The young keyblade wielder's hair had covered her face, keeping anyone from seeing what range of emotions she may have been expressing. Just a few seconds ago she had been a carefree girl. Now Kairi seemed to be carrying the weight of the world. Aqua hated how people so young had been recruited into such dangerous lives. She had said it once and would say it again, there wasn't a need to have more than one keyblade among friends if they wanted to keep each other safe.

"It's a long story" Kairi mumbled, unmoving.

"I'd love to hear about it, if you'd let me." Aqua tried to give a smile.

"Not here. We can go." Kairi begged pardon and got up. Aqua followed suit.

"I don't know how he did it, but Xehanort managed to put me in some sort of holding cell in the split second after I was kidnapped. Somehow, he was able to hold time over so what looked to be a few seconds to you guys was actually a bit longer for me." Kairi began. "He had given me a choice: to sacrifice my princess of heart powers to one of his replicas and be sent away, or remain a prisoner in that cold place for a long time. There wasn't any way I could let him win."

"How did you get out?" Aqua stood, amazed.

"When Xehanort was defeated, I could hear his thoughts. When his old friend and your master appeared to him to ask him to give it a rest, my heart was freed."

**Flashback**

_When Kairi awoke, she was standing on what looked to be a placid area of water. The sky was dotted with clouds, and it reflected perfectly on the ground. The sky seemed to go on forever, and the only thing Kairi could see was a shining star in the distance. Soon, she heard a noise behind her. When she turned around, she saw a little striped cat running towards her with a cape and a purse._

_"I can't believe it. He'll be here any moment now, I'm sure. You're Kairi, right?" The cat asked._

_"Yes, how did you know?" Kairi gasped._

_"I'm a friend of Sora's. He asked me if I had seen you last time he was here." The cat explained._

_"Where is here?" Kairi looked around._

_"You're in the final world. Its sort of a last resort stop for dreamers and those who have perished."_

_"Wait, does that mean I died?" Kairi gasped._

_"To any other person, I'd tell you yes. But Kairi, you're a special case." The cat sighed._

_"A special case?"_

_"Yes. You haven't passed your light onto another yet, and so you can't die. Normally, it would get reassigned on its own, but I owe Sora for keeping my best friend safe for literal years. So you get one more chance. Your escort home should be arriving any moment now."_

_Just as the cat had said, only a few moments later, there was a radiant light that appeared a couple of feet ahead of Kairi. Lo and behold, it was Sora with his back to her. Kairi's breath caught in her throat, and she couldn't help but run to him, leaping upon his back. He swung around, not expecting to be lunged upon. Still, he had his hand around her small arm to keep her from flying off from the speed._

_"This is real." kairi laughed._

_"Kairi, is that really you?" sora asked in amazement, putting her down and turning to her, pulling her into a deep embrace._

_"In the flesh...sort of." she laughed softly.__"I'm so glad you're safe!"_

_Sora smiled, placing his hands on her shoulders. She put a hand on his arm.__ "Me too."_

_Kairi perked up, fear filling her face. "Wait, does that mean you died too?"_

_"No, he's a special case, too. But this is the last time you can come here, Sora. you've abused the power of waking for the last time!" The cat jumped up and down._

_"Hey chirithy!" Sora smiled and picked up the cat._

_"Yes, hello, hello. Can you put me down, please? I have some business to attend to with you, you know." Chirithy flailed._

_"Sorry, buddy. Here you go. Now you said you still have some business with me?"_

_"Yes! I can't turn a blind eye next time you come here. I won't be here any way, but if I were, that would be the end of the line!" Chirithy exclaimed. "You're lucky you saved my friend and a guy named Joshua is interested in inviting you to his game."_

_"What?" Sora asked. _

_"Yeah. I was recently contacted by this guy named Joshua. He wants to invite you to this game of his, but it doesn't start for a while. He said he'd get you when he's ready." Chirithy noted. "Until then, he said he needed you in a very particular world for a favor. Told me you'd naturally do it without needing information."_

_"Can I come too?" Kairi questioned._

_"No, I'm afraid not." Chirithy sighed. "But, as a way to fulfill the debt I owe, I will give you until sunset to be together. When the sun goes down, you'll be transported to the new world."_

_"Only sunset?" Kairi and Sora chorused._

_"Sorry, I'm afraid so. I've stretched the rules as far as I can in your cases." Chirithy shrugged._

_"Well, I guess it's better than nothing." Sora took both of Kairi's hands in his. "Are you ready, Kai?"_

_"Wait! I wasn't quite done yet!" Chirithy jumped up and down._

_"What is it?" Kairi turned slightly._

_"Only one of you guys gets to remember what happened here. We have to have some level of order for this world, too." Chirithy explained._

_"How come only one of us gets to remember? Wouldn't it be easier if both of us forgot? Sora scratched his head._

_"Because then there wouldn't have been a point to me telling you all of this in the first place. Now, who gets to remember?" Chirithy looked expectantly._

_"Kairi." Sora said solidly._

_"What? Won't you need to remember about the game?" Kairi gasped._

_"Nah, it sounds like that's going to happen whether I like it or not. If you remember, then you can come look for me." Sora smiled._

_"I'll come back to you, Sora. I promise." Kairi searched his eyes for affirmation._

_"I know you will."_

_Kairi nodded and let go of Sora's hands so that she could embrace him. Chirithy sent them off with a goodbye. They had started falling through the sky beneath their feet, so Kairi's hold went from one of love to another of fear. Sora held her tightly, and realized it was happening again. They were falling to the shores of Destiny islands._

"And that's what happened." Kairi ended her story.

"Wow. I had no idea." Aqua struggled for words.

"He must have been sent to Tiana's world to let her know about her new seven pure lights status, I bet." Kairi surmised. "Two of the people we met there had seen him earlier that day."

"You were so close." Aqua whispered. Remembering her own trial in trying to find her friends.

"We'll get there." Kairi forced a smile. "I just wish i knew what this game was, or who the Joshua kid was."

"Let's call Riku tomorrow and ask if he knows anything." Aqua placed a hand on Kairi's shoulder. "And Kairi? Thanks for trusting me enough to tell me the story."

"Sure. Thanks for listening. The shock of everything kept me from saying much. I missed Sora dearly." Kairi admitted, a tear flowing freely down her cheek.

"I understand that. Let's get back. We've all been through enough, it's about time for some fun."

By time Kairi and Aqua had gotten back, the meal was almost all done and several people were up and dancing some traditional dance. A few men were twirling sticks with fire on the end, and Ventus had joined in with his keyblade. Moana motioned for the women to sit next to her while Maui and Ven had a fire spinning competition.

It was, however, getting late and Kairi felt unusually drowsy.

As she lay down on the bed provided by Moana, Kairi swore she could sense something in the hut with her, but her drowsiness kept her from being able to do anything about it. Behind her, a small shadow loomed, eyes red and patient.

As Kairi slept, she began to have visions of the most horrendous things. She saw large quantities of children standing around, keyblade in hand. The day was gray, and there was a strong wind. Everyone seemed grim. A chill ran up her spine, and the tension in the air was downright electric. Overhead, a voice began speaking, telling a story. The voice was warm and deep, and somehow familiar. It was like when you heard someone's voice in a movie, but couldn't recall where else you've seen them.

_Long ago, people lived in peace, bathed in the warmth of light. Everyone loved the light. The people began to fight over it. They wanted to keep it for themselves. And darkness was born in their hearts. The darkness spread, swallowing the light and many people's hearts. It covered everything, and the world disappeared…._

The story.

Sora had heard it when she resided in his heart. It made her heart warm just thinking about it. However, all forms of warmth went away as she looked at what lay before her. From far away, a bell rang, and all of the keyblade wielders began to attack. They looked scared, but they were angry, too. Could the light really cause that much trouble? Kairi had always been told that the light was good and the darkness was bad. But then you had good guys like Riku who could use both…

The voice continued the story.

_But small fragments of light survived...in the hearts of children. With these fragments of light, children rebuilt the lost world. It's the world we live in now. But the true light sleeps, deep within the darkness. That's why the worlds are still scattered, divided from each other. But someday, a door to innermost darkness will open. And the true light will return…_

Kairi could see a few people running out among the battles, trying to gather others and discourage them from fighting. One seemed to stand out in particular, but she couldn't quite tell what they looked like. As the fighting continued, everything began to turn shades of gray, except for one person in particular. she was dressed in robes and wore a fox mask.

Ava.

"Even in the deepest darkness, there will always be a light to guide you. Believe in the light, and the darkness will never defeat you. Your heart will shine with its power and push the darkness away." Ava finished the story.

"What is going on?" Kairi asked, the fight around her slowing to a halt

"I promised I'd come to you in your dreams, although it wasn't supposed to be like this. What you're seeing is a nightmare, one of ancient times. Why you're seeing it though is a mystery, even to me."

"You mean this is the keyblade war Xehanort was trying to recreate?" Kairi stood, astonished and horrified at the same time.

"Yes. Although Xehanort is gone, there is another in his stead who has an even worse plan. We need to find Sora and keep the princesses safe." Ava nodded grimly.

"Do you know who is behind this?" Kairi looked around.

"Yes. He is called the Master of Masters. We followed him diligently, and he betrayed us. He used us to start this infernal war. It was my job to lead others away so that we could put the world back together." Ava explained.

"Just like in the story!" Kairi connected the pieces.

"That's right." Ava chuckled. "We need Sora and we need more keyblade masters."

"That's what we're trying to do. I want him found more than anyone." Kairi held a fist to her chest. "Do you think you can get a lead as to where he is?"

"Unfortunately not, but I can offer you some help. You want to know about the book of prophecies." Ava noted.

"Yes! How did you know?" Kairi was amazed.

"I've been sleeping in the final world for a very long time. When you and Sora were there, I could feel your presence. As a princess of heart, you were able to carry me. Your light has been able to hide me from someone named Luxu. He would be coming after you if he knew I was here." Ava grew quiet.

"So the Master of Masters and Luxu are working together?" Kairi asked.

"Yes. Luxu is his apprentice. Something is happening on the tides of Destiny, Kairi. You need to be watchful. If the book of prophecies falls into the wrong hands, then there will only be trouble. Although it's location is hidden, I can tell you that it will most likely be somewhere where secrets unfold."

"Secrets unfold? Do you have any other hints for me?" Kairi suggested.

"I'm sorry, that's all I remember from my copy." Ava apologized.

"If you have one, why not just go read it now?" Kairi asked.

"Because I don't have mine anymore- none of us do. There were six books given, one to each of the apprentices, myself included. but they scattered to the winds when we died in the keyblade war. Find them, Kairi."

"Them? Wait, we have to find all six?"

Ava was disappearing now, and Kairi raced to follow after her. But it was no use. She and the dream were gone.


	8. A Spooky Side

Happy Halloween, everyone! Here's the next chapter as a treat! hope you like it, feel free to review!

* * *

_Something is amiss_

the mistress of all evil thought to herself.

The very idea irked her. With a roll of her eyes, she felt she already knew the problem, and it started with the name Pete.

She honestly couldn't stand having to work with him sometimes, but good help was just so hard to find these days. He had simply been floating there, rejected by the world that birthed him. She had been able to use his anger and bitterness towards his world for her own good, although she couldn't say whether it paid off yet.

They had been working together for those 10 years before that miscreant Sora and friends had shown up. He had been absent the entire time she had worked with Riku, but that was likely her fault for thinking he could be useful without her help. She had sent him to attempt to capture one tiny island world, but still he had failed. She guessed he had tried crawling back to her after that.

Maleficent wondered sometimes if having Pete work with Riku would have done anything.

Now Riku, there was a worthy lackey. It was a shame she didn't have the chance to go back in time again. She'd been there, done that. It was time to start focusing on the box. Which was where she was now. She had since left Pete in charge of Sora and her castle. With the defenses and the spells she had put in the first few floors of the castle, he couldn't possibly mess up.

Instead, she had her sights on the very box she needed. As of yet, that infernal Xigbar was telling some others the whole story of Xehanort. She didn't dare risk a full-frontal assault. After all, good things come to those that wait. Maleficent had a couple of plans in mind in order to get at the box, but they would require some aid.

So, she left. Surely it had been a long story, since she had time to leave and come back. She knew who was in possession of it now. She needed to return to the datascape and check on how her heartless army was coming along. She also needed to find a way to get that brat's friends into the datascape on a hopeless effort to save their precious Sora. There just weren't enough hours in the day.

It had been a heck of an adventure getting Sora into the data scape in the first place. Something had been pulling at Sora when the witch Doctor sent the boy her way. Maleficent had to use some of her most powerful magic in order to keep Sora from getting derailed and going to another world. Thankfully, he was just as prone to her magic spindle as Aurora.

Maleficent opened a dark corridor that would lead her back to the highest spire in the castle at Radiant Garden. She had used her magic to hide it, knowing that if it couldn't be found, then her foes would never be suspicious. From there, she had kept her machine that could take them to and from the data scape. She paused for a moment. The machine wasn't as she had left it. Someone had used it recently.

With a few strokes of the keyboard, Maleficent pulled up a video from the main terminal, hoping she would be able to see who had been so bold as to barge into her castle. On the monitor she could see a young woman with chocolate brown eyes and black hair, wearing a too short white party dress. Maleficent frowned. Who was this? How did she know about the machine? Maleficent would get that girl. And her little dog, too.

Perhaps she would have to pay the little town near her castle in the data scape a visit. After she went to check on things back at the castle, of course. She wanted to see that brat of a key bearer suffer a little. Or a lot. It was a toss up.

Pressing the right keys, a bright light filled the room and Maleficent found herself in a room that mirrored the one she had just left. Swishing her cloak about, she turned and exited the room.

Pete was running down the hall, trying to meet her. She could hear his awkward steps and heavy panting. Perhaps the fool had just run up all of those steps to talk to her. Maleficent gave an inward sigh. What was it now?

"Maleficent your evilness." Pete began, breathing heavily between each word.

"What is it, you knave? Can't you see I'm busy?" Maleficent scowled.

"I have some news for you." Pete's breaths were coming easier now.

"It had better be good, for your sake." Maleficent st the Raven that had landed on her shoulder. At least she could trust Diablo to be competent.

"Oh, well, I-uh…"Pete stammered.

"Out with it, you fool!"

"It looks like that brat of a key bearer got away." Pete mumbled. "I almost had him, too, but he found some friends to get him out."

"Some friends, you say?" Maleficent was careful to keep her voice even.

"Yeah. It was those rascals from the local town." Pete complained. "Don't know how they got him out though."

Good, so he hadn't left the data scape. If they were lucky, Sora didn't even know where he was. Maleficent was steaming, but all was not lost.

"Then you will go into town and escort him back. I trust even you can handle a watered-down Sora." Maleficent cooed.

"Me?" Pete pointed to himself.

"Of course you blundering fool!" Maleficent let out a hint of her rage. "You have a heartless army, now use it!"

Pete skedaddled out of the room faster than Hades when he realized he had lost. A ghost of a smile lit up Maleficent's face. Perhaps he wasn't such a useless lackey after all.

**Luxu**

A group of people stood in the furthest reaches of the keyblade graveyard. Masks veiled their faces, except for one. He was a man of wry wit and mischievous smiles. He had gone by many names throughout his extraordinarily long life; Braig, Xigbar, Luxu. There were other names he had that he hadn't bothered to even remember. At long last, his role was done, and he could start his own agenda.

The other four had light robes, their masks representing a unicorn, snake, bear and leopard. They had some semblance of an idea where they were, but had no idea how much time had passed since they had last graced this land with their presence. There was a sadness that surrounded the group, as if coming from the keyblades themselves.

"So in short, we need the seven pure lights. We know two of them for sure, but we're short five more." Xigbar commented.

"So we need to gather them?" A man in a unicorn mask pondered.

"Exactomundo." Xigbar nodded.

"That sounds a bit like kidnapping, Luxu. Are you sure it's what we need to do?" A woman in a snake mask asked.

"I don't trust it. Last time we did what the master instructed, it ended in war!" A man in a bear mask roared.

"Things didn't seem to go so well, sure. But part of that was because you didn't find the traitor." Xigbar, who was being called Luxu now, shrugged.

"I don't think there was a traitor." A young man in a leopard mask piped up.

"I don't know." Luxu looked at him with a sarcastic look. "Do you see Ava anywhere?"

The young man paused. "But you said she had a role to play, and she did it. What was that role?"

"You see the results of it now. She sent away the survivors. Almost as if she knew someone was going to turn the tide and start the war. I imagine you'd be pretty popular after saving the entirety of humanity. Maybe she did it to immortalize herself."

"That doesn't sound like her." The young man mused

"I'm just telling you what I know. I was there when she rang the bell that started the fighting." Luxu noted.

"And you didn't try to stop her?" The bear masked man growled.

"Oh, we fought alright." Luxu smirked. "She put up quite a resistance. Even invited her here today, should she be able."

"Then you know where she is?" The woman asked.

"No, not a clue. But I imagine we'll see her eventually." Luxu admitted.

"I still don't see how these princesses are supposed to help." The man in the bear mask scoffed.

"Pure lights. And you want to see the master again, right?" Luxu stopped him. "Gather the lights, and everything else falls into place."

The man in the bear mask seemed to growl as he clenched his fists. Even the very air around him seemed to tense up. Luxu sighed. It seemed he was going to be a spanner in the works if not distracted very carefully.

Even Luxu didn't truly know where the master was. The only thing he knew was that the man was running around somewhere in the data scape. What that meant or how to get there was a little fuzzy to Luxu. Heard about it, sure. Luxu even understood it, to a small degree. With any luck though, Sora and his friends would no doubt spill something important about it sooner, rather than later.

"Where is the master?" The man in the unicorn mask asked.

"Who knows with him? But I'm sure its nowhere too far. All I know is that my role is done, so he should be ready for the next part of his plan." Luxu noted. "And before you ask, he hasn't even told me what to do next. All I know is we've gotta keep this box safe."

"What's in the box?" The unicorn masked man inquired.

"Enough with the questions already. We'll get there soon enough. Now, who wants to build a snowman?" Luxu smirked.

**Sora**

"Lauriam, huh? Now that's a name I haven't heard in a long time." Brain nearly gave a smirk. Riku made the same face when he was slightly annoyed, but didn't want to show it. "Is he a friend of yours?"

"Not exactly. Someone I met was looking for him, so I thought maybe you could tell me. Where do you know him from?" Replied Sora.

"He and I used to work together, though I can't say we were particularly close." Brain responded.

"Do you have any idea where he might be now?" Sora questioned.

"Not in the slightest, I'm afraid. But I want you to come see something." Brain changed the subject hurriedly.

Sensing a sore spot, Sora left it at that. Normally, if someone had said they knew someone, then it meant the person was still on the world. But since it had been a long time and Brain had traveled to different worlds, this Lauriam guy could be anywhere.

Brain and Sora climbed up several floors of stairs. Toward the top, Brain didn't show any sign of fatigue, but Sora knew he would need a rest, soon. After everything he had done today, he hadn't gotten a chance to sit down. Thinking about it now, he really could use a good meal, too. But, as that was most likely going to have to wait, he persevered.

From the room Brain led Sora to, he could see the entire city. The light of the sun was going further down in the sky. Sora hadn't realized just how late it had gotten. On the side of the wall was a small bookshelf filled with all kinds of black books. There was a table and soft-looking curtains. Sora nearly gasped when he saw an all too familiar looking keyblade hanging on the wall. It was the one Xehanort had used in their more recent fight. How and why was it there?

"Interested in no name, are you?" Brain caught Sora's stare.

"No, it just looks like one I've seen before." Sora shook his head.

"Really? Who was holding it?" Brain hummed.

"A guy named Xehanort. He was bad news." Sora scooped.

"Interestingly enough, that was exactly what I wanted to show you. You see, this book and that keyblade are connected." Brain explained. "I'm not sure how, but they are."

"A keyblade and a book, huh? Will wonders never cease?"

"I also invited you here because I wanted to talk to you in private." Brain leaned against one of the bookshelves. "You see, you and the others are the only real things here. Welcome to the datascape."

"The datascape?" Sora jumped. "Wait a minute, like Jiminy's journal?"

"I'm not sure who that is, but this world is not technically real. It's just zeroes and ones." Brain noted.

"How did I get here? And how was this world created? The datascape I heard about last time got its information from a journal, so maybe this world is someone else's? Is it yours, brain?" Sora shot off questions.

"No, not at all. Tell me, have you heard of the keyblade war?" Brain sat up a little.

"Yeah. It was the big fight at the keyblade graveyard over who controlled the light. What does that have to do with this being a data world?" Sora recalled.

"Absolutely everything." Brain shifted his glasses. "I was a teenager then- I suppose I would be right about that age now, had I not done what I did; I'll get there. Anyway, it's not quite that simple. I don't know all of the details; for that you'd have to go find Master Ava, the head of the vulpes union and the dandelions."

Sora looked confused and Brain had to laugh. He knew Sora had no idea what he was talking about, so he took a moment to collect his thoughts. It certainly had been a while since he had thought of any of this. He wondered if his body were still where he left it. He also wondered about his friends.

"Long, drawn out story short, there were five teams competing to collect light in the worlds. The leaders started to ask for more and we forgot about friendship. Master Ava gathered a group of us to move over to the datascape in order to forget it had happened and start over. The friends you met are descendants of those key bearers." Brain continued. "I was one chosen to lead the survivors. But then I messed up and there was a virus, so I sent my body and friends into a deep sleep. Master Ava placed my heart into this datascape so that I could continue to watch the dandelions."

"Wow, what a story. What happened to your friends, then?" Sora placed his hands behind his head.

"No clue. For all I know, they could be dead." Brain folded his arms.

"I'll find a way to get out of here! What are your friend's names?" Sora decided.

"Woah, woah, calm down there. I never said I was trapped." Brain's eyes seemed to spill over with remorse.

"But your body- and your friends! What about them?" Sora frantically listed

"I imagine they're just fine on their own. If they're awake, then they don't remember anything about our time together. It can get a little lonesome, but that's the price you pay for meddling where you don't belong." Brain smiled softly.

The sun was almost all the way down now. Twilight had ended, and the sky began its long trek towards dawn. The two shared a companionable silence, taking in the information that had been shared. Sora's mind was racing, trying to figure out the secret that was his situation. Usually you needed some sort of machine to get into the datascape. He didn't think he had seen one recently.

"I'm going to help you." Sora resolved.

"Help me? With what?" Brain tipped up his hat.

"We're going to find out the connection between the keyblade and the book. Besides, you wanted Zack, Lightning and Bartz to find a couple of more items, right?" Sora smiled.

"I suppose you're right. Why don't you take the rest of the evening to relax and get to know everyone in town?" Brain decided.

"Yeah! And then after we find the connection, I'm going to help you get your body back!"

"One step at a time, Sora." Brain reminded the boy.

"Right. Focus on the tasks ahead of you first." Sora's resolve was set.

"That's good advice." Brain chuckled, heading towards the stairs. "Oh and Sora? Do me a favor and keep the particulars of our discussion secret, please. I'd rather save the data reveal for a more appropriate time. I'm trusting you as a fellow key bearer."

"Got it." Sora followed behind him.

When they got back into town, there was quite a bit of noise. There was a man with blond hair sticking up vertically chopping up a few fruits and occasionally stirring some sort of stew. Responding to his questions was a rather slight girl with her yellow hair in a ponytail, holding a moogle. Lightning and Zack were having an arm wrestling match, Bartz was playing a mini harp and Sora could see a boy with a monkey tail hanging off a tree branch.

A few homes around were alight with activity, and from the open windows, Sora could smell all different kinds of foods. Sora had to wonder if everyone here had been descended from a keyblade wielder.

"Everyone, this is Sora. He is going to be staying with us for a while. Please help him feel at home." Brain announced.

Most of them gave either a wave or a smile as Sora surveyed the small group. He noticed that the boy with the tail jumped off the tree branch and made his way over to say hello. He was fairly short, with blond hair and a blue and white outfit.

"Hey there. My name is Zidane, and that's Ignis and Terra. You said your name was Sora, right?"

"Yeah. Nice to meet you guys." Sora smiled.

From the side of camp, came two women. One had a black tank top with a yellow jacket around her waist and a red hat while the other had her blonde hair up with a long pink dress, black boots and long black gloves.

"Hey, have any of you seen Rinoa? She's been gone for a while now." The woman in pink asked. Upon seeing Sora, she said "Oh, who do we have here?"

"The name is Sora."

"I'm Quistis and this is Cidney, though we just call her Cid. Where did you come from?"

"Found him over in Maleficent's castle. Says he's fought that witch before." Zack added in, joining the group.

"Nice to meet you, kid." Cid smiled. "Just let me know if you need anything fixed."

Terra walked over to the group. "Rinoa said something about checking for Squall again."

"In her party dress?" Quistis was puzzled.

"She had Angelo with her, I'm sure she'll be fine. Besides, if she does manage to find him, she'll be glad she wore what she wore. I'm sure they'll want their privacy." Zidane winked.

"Zidane!" Quistis blushed.

"What? Its true." Zidane shrugged.

Quistis shook her head and cracked a small smile.

"We can send a scouting party if she isn't home by daylight. It's getting late now." Brain decided.

"Besides, dinner is ready!" Ignis called from the cutting board. He was just washing up his hands now.

"Great, I'm starving!" Sora led the group over to the table that was set up on a nearby outside pavilion.

The sky had just about gone down now, and the stars were starting to twinkle one at a time. Knowing what he knew, Sora wondered if it were possible to travel to them, or if the reaches of data only stretched to this world. He also wondered how he was going to get out of here and back to Kairi.

The spread was absolutely marvelous. Ignis had done an amazing job getting everything to taste just right. Sora was reminded of the bistro in twilight town. He wondered what kind of dishes Ignis and little chef could whip up together.

"So Sora, where did you come from?" Quistis asked.

"A little place called Destiny islands. They're beautiful." Sora answered between bites.

"What brings you here?" Zidane asked.

Sora paused. What could he say? Fate?

"Um, I guess Maleficent, in a way….against my will, of course!" Sora quickly added, not wanting to incriminate himself. "What I mean is that I was on a world, there was all sorts of darkness and then I found myself a prisoner."

"I see." Quistis responded.

"Have you guys had a lot of trouble with her?" Sora changed the subject.

"Not as much recently, but for a while she was a real pain in our side." Brain joined in.

"But it won't be long until we can breach her defenses for good. One of those moogles said that Pete was going to be gone for a long while. They were saying something about a box, which if we're lucky, is the same box we're looking for." Zack reported.

"Does anyone know what's actually in the box?" Sora quizzed.

"Hope." Brain simply stated.

The entire table looked over at him, as if they hadn't heard Brain speak so candidly. Sora gasped. That was the same thing Luxord had said about the black box the organization was looking for. Surely they couldn't be the same box? Was it possible the box were connected to the keyblade and book of prophecies? They had to find it before Maleficent could get it. But if it were in the real world, then getting at it would be difficult.

"Do you think we ought to risk another trip to Maleficent's castle?" Sora brought up.

"It could yield some interesting information." Zack hummed.

"But getting in without being caught could be very tricky." Lightning piped up.

"If anyone has any bright ideas to get in, let's hear them." Zidane smiled.

"Perhaps we ought to give it some thought and then come back together when we come up with something." Ignis nodded.

"Then everyone, get thinking." Cid took another bite.

The rest of dinner was filled with conversation. Sora, Zack and Ignis had tried to one-up each other with stories of their adventures, although Sora kept Xehanort out of his, as he didn't know if the man existed in this world.

While the rest of the group got dinner cleaned up and put away, Zack grabbed Sora about the shoulders and began walking to a more private area.

"Hey, can I talk to you for a minute?" Zack whispered.

"Sure thing." Sora nodded, going with the man.

"That sword you have. What do you call it?" Zack asked.

"It's the keyblade." Sora replied warily.

"And these destiny islands- they're not from the data scape, are they?" Zack searched for a response.

"When did you find out?" Sora gaped.

"When Brain took you to his tower to talk. He gave me and Rinoa the same one about 10 years ago." Zack leaned against a tree, folding his arms.

"Wait, you're not from here, either?" Sora stood amazed.

"Nope. You didn't listen earlier. I lived in Radiant garden, but wound up on Olympus looking for a trainer to become a hero. When I caught a trace of a friend, I left. Rinoa and I both wound up here after the worlds we were on fell and we needed a new place to stay." Zack explained.

"Wait, if you're from Radiant Garden, then you know Leon, Cloud, Aerith and everybody else!" As Sora said Aerith's name, a small smile played at Zack's lips. He may have been smiling, but his eyes were sad. Sora recognized the look. It was one he had seen on his best friend's face once or twice in the island since defeating Xemnas. But it only ever happened when Selphie took Kairi away for a girl's day out.

"Yeah, I do. I've been trying to get back to everyone there for the last 10 years. Rin and I have searched the whole town and nothing has shown up." Zack stood straight did a couple of squats.

"Wish I could help. I still don't know how I got here." Sora placed his hands behind his head.

"That's it, Sora! The machine has to be in Maleficent's castle!" Zack snapped.

"Oh, right! She had to have been the one to capture me. Pete said something about me being bait for my friends." Sora stood straight as well.

"Then it's settled. When we storm Maleficent's castle, you and I will look for the thing that will get us home."


	9. Switcheroo

Riku

Riku kept his arm on Namine's shoulders as he had last time she was sketching. So far, he couldn't sense any darkness swirling around her. There was a picture of Terra fighting a boy in a helmet coming on quite nicely on her tablet, but not much else. She had said she was going to finish the memory she had left off with last time before jumping back into Xehanort's memories in hopes of finding anything about the book of prophecies.

Riku glanced over at the face of their sleeping friend. He and Terra had met when Riku was just a small boy, but thanks to Namine, he didn't remember it at all. She had offered to put the memory back, but there were more pressing things to worry about right now. Despite all the trouble he had been through, Terra's face was so serene and so sincere. For all Riku knew, he was having the greatest dream there was. When Riku thought about his own adventures in the world of dreams, he gave an involuntary shudder. He hoped never to have to do anything like that again.

"Riku, are you okay?" Namine asked, not looking up from her page.

"Yeah, I was just thinking." Riku took his arms off Namine's shoulders. "You've been at this all morning. Do you want something to eat?"

Namine put down her stylus and tablet and began to stretch out her arms. "Yeah. I think there is some actual food upstairs, and not just ice cream. But knowing Axel, we're probably well stocked with that, too."

Riku have a small chuckle and helped the girl up. They had made it out of the library and towards the kitchen when they could hear footsteps coming from the foyer. Almost instinctively, Namine got behind Riku and he placed an arm ahead of her. Looking out the doorway, Riku could see that it was clear.

"Get back downstairs. If anything happens, wake Terra up and get out of here." Riku whispered. Namine only nodded and opened up the secret passage.

Riku made his way down the hall, checking every corner. He could sense a hint of darkness, but there was light, too. One scent was that of some fancy kind of flower, but Riku couldn't place a name for it. The other smell was that of a lemon, tart and bright. Finally, he was almost to the foyer.

"Where do you think they are?" A female voice cooed.

"I'm not sure, but someone has to be living here. Who better than the keyblade wielders?" A man spoke.

"I'm starting to get some crazy deja vu vibes from this place." The female shivered.

"Yes, I feel its familiar as well, although I can guarantee we've never been here before." The other voice replied dreamily.

Standing in the foyer and looking around were two people. The girl had short blond hair with bangs and two locks of hair that could pass as antennae. She wore a black skirt and a blue blazer with a white shirt and tie. It nearly reminded Riku of Kairi's school uniform.

The man had shoulder length pink hair with a white shirt and black vest complete with reddish pants and...roses in his hand? Yellow roses. Kairi had once told him they symbolized friendship. He was looking around at the size of the big empty hall, when he noticed the white room up the stairs.

"Oh good. It looks like she probably was here at one point or another. That room looks just like castle Oblivion." The man smiled, heading up to the room.

Castle Oblivion? How did these two know about that?

Riku clenched his fist. If they had been there, then they must have been messing with Sora while he was in the basement. Of course. Two ex organization members looking to...to do what, exactly? Riku called forth Braveheart and walked out into the foyer. It was time to get some answers.

"Hey, who are you two and what are you doing here?"

They turned upon hearing Riku, headed halfway up the stairs.

"Ah, hello." The man took a couple of steps down. "We don't mean any harm, we were just looking for Namine. I'm Lauriam and this is Elrena. You may remember us from our time in the organization."

"What do you want with Namine?" Riku tightened his grip on Braveheart."

"It's ok, we're just going to ask for a favor. We're not puppets anymore." Elrena piped up.

Riku loosened up, but only just barely. He heard some footsteps coming down the hall. It had to be Namine's. Riku could tell she was trying to be sneaky, but perhaps curiosity got the best of her.

"Namine, just the person we came here to see. I brought you flowers as a peace offering." Lauriam was at the bottom of the stairs now, holding out the roses.

Namine gave a squeak and flew to Riku's side, calling out her staff. She was visibly shaking, but a look of sheer determination filled her face.

"What makes you think I'd help you?" Namine forced out, using a small fire blast to destroy the roses.

Dropping the flaming bouquet, Lauriam stamped out the embers. He gave a soft breath and then readjusted his vest.

"We're back to our usual selves, Namine. Now that we have feelings, we can understand and empathize with you about your experience. I really am sorry about everything." Lauriam responded.

"I don't think I can believe you." Namine was shaking less now.

"It's the truth. We weren't quite ourselves when you knew us." Elrena joined Lauriam on the main floor.

Lauriam took a moment and began to bend in a deep bow. "I know what we did to you was terrible. And I will try my best to make It up to you, even If It takes the rest of my life. But I have something I absolutely must see through. You are the only one who can help me."

Namine hesitated a moment and then lowered her staff down just a little. "What is your request?"

"It's my little sister, Strelitzia. She went missing a long time ago. I need to see into the memories of a couple of people, and I'm certain you can help me." Lauriam didn't move from his bow.

"Strelitzia? But she died." Namine's eyes opened wide.

Lauriam looked, jumped up from his bow and raced over to Namine, grabbing her shoulders and gave her a shake. "You know where she is?"

The next thing Lauriam knew, Riku had thrown him off of her. The ex-nobody flew to the other side of the room, landing on a vase. Elrena stepped to Lauriam's side and helped him up.

"Try anything like that again and you're going to regret it." Riku murmured.

"Sorry, I just got so excited. You would not believe how long I've waited for a lead on her." Lauriam scratched his head.

"Look. I know things weren't so warm and fuzzy between us in the past. Just like him, I'm sorry for what I did. But you guys have to let up too if you want some justice for Strelitzia." Elrena folded her arms.

"I don't get it. How do you know her, Nam?" Riku asked.

"Her heart was with me in the final world while you all were in the keyblade graveyard. We didn't get to spend too much time together, but we became friends. Sora talked to her, too." Namine said.

"Sora did?" Riku gasped.

"Yes. Kairi kept believing in him, so he was able to bring everyone back. Sora had a brief conversation with her and I separately." Namine nodded.

"Did you happen to hear their conversation? Did she say who did it?" Lauriam asked.

"I did, but she only said it was a somebody. She also said she was waiting for someone who would be distressed at her absence. I guess that's you?" Namine explained.

"Yes. But at least I now know she's mostly safe." Lauriam breathed a sigh of relief.

"But that doesn't tell us who did it." Elrena sighed.

Lauriam held out a hand. "Dear Namine, if you would be so kind, may we ask for your help?"

Namine bit her lip. If she were to help these two, it would be only to help Strelitzia. Perhaps it would also get them out of her hair faster. But she couldn't help but feel the anger and resentment building up in her chest. After everything they had done to her, how could she help them? How could they show up and act all humble? It was an act, wasn't it?

"Can you give us a moment?" Riku broke through the silence.

He whisked her away to a spare room and closed the door.

"Are you okay, Nam? I know they were part of the organization, but never really met them." Riku asked.

"No. No I'm not. Those two were the worst of my captors. That's Marluxia and Larxene." Namine hissed.

Riku had never seen her this visibly shaken before. Or this angry before. These two must have been incredibly bad news. She had said one or two things about them, but it wasn't ever anything more than a curt answer. Riku couldn't help but wonder if their completion had changed them.

"What about that Strelitzia girl? You know that if Sora's met her, then he has already promised to help her." Riku reminded.

"We can help her another way. She said she lived around 100 years ago, surely she won't mind waiting a little longer." Namine tried to stay mad.

"You lived in Castle oblivion for a while, what if Sora had made you wait?" Riku questioned.

"That's something completely different and you know it. I was being actively abused." Namine was trying to keep the fire going, but was losing steam.

"What if they've changed?" Riku pointed out.

"What if they haven't?" Namine countered.

They stared at each other. Riku was glad that Namine had inherited at least a little bit of Kairi's stubborn will, but he couldn't help but wonder if maybe it was blinding her this time.

"A hundred years, huh? You know, that's a fairly good distance from where we are now. Long enough for everyone to forget about the book of prophecies." Riku reasoned.

Namine stopped. Her eyes widened as she realized exactly what he meant and was getting at. She didn't want to admit it, but he was right. Terra's memories weren't getting her anywhere when it came to the book of prophecies, although she may have found a clue to Sora. She had also rearranging back into Ansem's memories, so this could be a way out of it.

Namine sighed. "I know."

"It'll be okay, Nam. If someone like me can come back from the dark, then just about anyone can." Riku smiled.

"I am going to have one condition, though. I don't want to be in a room alone with either of them. They may still be good now, but you see how fast they joined the organization this last time."

"I agree." Riku nodded.

"If you're wrong about this, you owe me big time." Namine poked at Riku's chest and gave him a mischievous smirk.

"Yes, ma'am." Riku nodded, heading back towards the door.

They headed back out to the foyer where Lauriam was sweeping up the ashes from the flowers and Elrena was tossing put the pieces of the vase that broke when Riku threw Lauriam.

"Okay, we've agreed to help you on one condition; I do not want to be left in a room alone with either of you. This is a temporary situation." Namine stated.

"Thank you, Namine, Riku. Now, where is your friend, Ventus?" Lauriam looked around.

"What do you want with Ven?" Namine asked.

"He's the one I need you to use your powers on." Lauriam noted.

"We'll have to give him a call." Riku stated tentatively. "He's off on a mission at the moment. There's a trash bag in the kitchen."

"I'll get it!" Namine called out.

"Okay, I'll go ahead and call Aqua then. I have a couple of other things I want to ask her." Riku followed Namine.

Lauriam and Elrena finished cleaning up the messes and then sat down on the stairs together.

"You know, when all of the memories came flooding in, I almost couldn't handle it. Strelitzia was all I could think about, and I hoped I would find a way back to her. Imagine my surprise when we ended up here." Lauriam have a small chuckle. "What did you mean by your secret, by the way?"

"You heard that?" Elrena looked at him.

"Yeah. It's something I don't get. You've been helping me, which I appreciate, but it didn't seem like you were incredibly close to Strelitzia. Why help me?" Lauriam examined.

"It's a secret to you, too." Elrena placed a finger near her mouth.

"Well, if I didn't know any better, I'd wonder if I hadn't time traveled myself. What with Namine and Riku working with memory and now you two, its like castle Oblivion all over." A voice came into the foyer.

"Axel. It's you." Lauriam stated frankly. "And Saïx as well."

"Yes. We happen to live here. What are you guys doing?" Axel noted sarcastically.

"We're looking to Namine for help in solving another mystery. She's volunteered to look into someone else's memory for us." Lauriam responded.

"I see. Do you have a place to stay in the meantime?" Isa shifted the grocery bag onto his hip.

"Isa, you really want these two in our home?" Axel came close to dropping a bag.

"If Namine has agreed to help them, then she must see good in them. We have the room, we can afford a couple more people. Or are you worried Larxene will use up all of your hair gel?" Isa prodded.

"It's actually Elrena. And he's Lauriam." Elrena corrected.

"I see. Nice to re-meet you, Lauriam and Elrena. The kitchen is in the back by the garden and there are a couple of rooms with a bathroom close by that you may use." Isa nodded towards the kitchen.

"Thank you." Lauriam stood up. "Can I help you with those?"

Isa surrendered one of his bags while Axel kept his, stating that he was carrying the ice cream for Ansem's freezer and wanted to keep an eye on it. They passed Namine on the way back, who was carrying a black trash bag. Things felt very topsy turvy around here.

There was more commotion when Roxas and Xion got home, as the first sight they saw was Namine, Elrena and Axel picking up large shards of glass from the vase that once stood in the foyer.

"Larxene? What are you doing here?" Roxas and Xion summoned their keyblades.

"Relax, buddy. We'll explain everything at dinner." Axel stood up. "Speaking of, it should be done soon. If you're not going to work on his memory anymore, you might want to wake up Terra."

"Might not get the chance. I just called Aqua. She said that Ven and Kairi ran off on their own. They're on an island called Motunui, according to Aqua." Riku reported.

"They're just on one world, so it can't be that big of a deal, can it?" Axel asked.

"That's what I thought, but Aqua said last time Ven ran off like this, he went world hopping." Riku added. "Besides, we need him here to sort through some memories.

"Sora's not on an island, can you tell Kairi that? You're looking for a world with lots of grass and mountains." Namine stood up from picking up the glass. Xion took the bag from her and headed outside.

"I guess he and Roxas really are similar." Axel sighed.

"What was that?" Roxas put his keyblades away.

"Nothing, nothing. Now, lets get Terra up." Axel began walking towards the room with the pod.

Terra opened his eyes slowly and have a stretch. Everyone was standing, looking at him, including two people Terra only knew through his time as Xehanort. He called out his keyblade, but just about everyone had their own way of telling him it wasn't necessary.

With a nod, Terra leapt down and was quickly briefed by Riku. As soon as he heard that Ven had gone missing again, he was ready to take off. However, his strength failed him, and he just about toppled to the ground. Roxas and Riku were able to catch him in just enough time though, and carried him upstairs to have some dinner before heading out.

"Wait, how are you guys getting there. Doesn't Kairi have Sora's gummi ship?" Isa realized.

"Yes, she does. But I recently talked to Chip and Dale about it, and they're sending me over one of Sora's old custom builds. They had to work on it a bit to get it to fly, but it was just about done." Riku noted. "They said they sent it on autopilot, and it should be getting here sometime soon.

Only a moment later, the gummi ship broke through the atmosphere and began to make a landing in the courtyard of the mansion. Our heroes had to scramble to get out of its way, as it barely fit in the enclosed space.

The ship was made up of dark blue, black and yellow gummi blocks. It looked rather large, with enough room to fit quite a bit of people in the cabin. Chip and Dale must have done that specifically because of how many key bearers there were these days.

"We want to come with you guys, Axel." Roxas stopped Axel on his way out.

"No can do, Roxas. You guys made a commitment to living a normal life, at least for a year. What kind of friend would I be if I let you get out of something like that?" Axel wagged a finger.

"But you could use a couple of more pairs of eyes." Xion objected

"And Namine needs you guys here. She doesn't want to be left alone with our two visitors, so Isa will need you guys to come over after school and help out." Axel reminded. "Can you do that for me?"

"Yeah." Roxas and Xion chorused.

"Good. There's a bunch of ice cream in the freezer. Isa will want you to eat in moderation, but you don't have to listen to him when it comes to desserts." Axel winked. "See you when we get home."

Axel gave his friends a hug and then made his way to Riku and Terra, who were saying goodbye to Namine. He caught the end of their conversation.

"I'm sorry my memories couldn't have been any help." Terra apologized.

"No, believe it or not, it did help, I think. I'll know for certain when I check on Sora's memory one more time tonight." Namine nodded. "And Riku-"

"I know. I'll bring everyone home safe. It's a promise."

Namine smiled at the silver haired keyblade master. "Thank you."

"Are you sure you're okay to come with us?" Riku asked Terra.

"Yes. I once failed in bringing Ven home. I won't do it again." Terra nodded.

"Right. Okay then, let's get going. Next stop, Motunui." Riku stated.

**Kairi**

"Ventus, I swear, if I trip over one more branch, I'm pulling out a light spell." Kairi held on to Ven's shoulder, making her way through the viney pathway.

"You can't. Aqua's probably searching for us right now. If you have a light, we'll get caught. Besides, don't you have trails like this at home?" Ven led her around a large, dead stump.

"Yeah, but I've been travelling those roads since I can remember. This is all new territory. What was so important that we needed to sneak out for, anyway?" Kairi jumped over a pile of vines.

"Someone's been watching me this whole day. Aqua didn't seem to believe me when I told her, and then to top it off, she sent us both to bed. Aren't you curious about what it could be?" Ven explained.

"Well, yes, but I wonder if it wasn't just a stray animal or something." Kairi breathed. "Can we at least slow down? We can catch our bearings in the meantime."

"Yeah, sorry. I guess I just got really excited. I love being around Aqua, but she is such a mom sometimes." Ventus admitted.

"It makes sense with her having gone through what she did. I have half a mind to keep Sora and Riku in eyesight at all times when I get back, too." Kairi placed her hands on her hips and took a deep breath.

"It was the same way before all that happened, too. I just don't know how to help her see that I'm not a kid anymore." Ven sat down.

"I get that. I do. But this isn't the way." Kairi sat next to him.

"Is that why you came with me? To keep me on this world?" Ven asked.

"I couldn't sleep. Not after the dream I had. Besides, she sent us both to bed early, remember?" Kairi smiled. "We've been in the same boat before. You were too sleepy to realize it, but you and I were in Sora's heart at one point. Even though I couldn't interact with you, I could still feel your light."

"Good thing you couldn't feel my darkness, that guy was a psycho." Ven have a small chuckle.

"Yeah, Vanitas, right? Glad I never really met him. Is he still inside you?" Kairi inquired.

"No, I don't think so. Hey, do you think I have a shot at being one of the seven pure lights?" Ven smiled back.

"Nah, I'm pretty sure you have to be a girl at least. That's the only reason why I can imagine they'd call us princesses of heart." Kairi responded. "Chirithy told me I still was one."

Ven smiled. He and chirithy had gotten some time to reconnect, but the details of how they met were still hazy. Names and faces would come to him whenever they talked, as if his heart were remembering them, but not his head. He recognized them from his time dreaming inside Sora's heart. Sometimes he wondered if he had made them all up.

"Hey, earth to Ven….we may just have some company!" Kairi batted at his arm until he broke out of his trance.

"Where is it?" Ven stood and called out his keyblade.

"Can't tell. But can't you feel that aura?" Kairi stood up as well.

"Yeah, that one smells disgusting!" Came a voice from behind.

"Chirithy? What are you doing here?" Ventus ran over to his friend.

"I came to warn you to get off this world. There's an old threat that decided to come back!" Chirithy jumped.

"An old threat?" Ven questioned.

Kairi tried to warn him of the oncoming darkness, but didn't quite get there in time. Holding Ven down were small creatures; Kairi couldn't tell exactly what. They looked like a shadow heartless with a hood on. There were red lines all over it, with a pair of wings, pants and gloves. It kept asking for lux, whatever that was.

"Darklings again? But how?" Chirithy cried out.

"You and I have really gotta have a chat, Chirithy." Ven struggled against the monsters.

"Maybe another time!" Kairi called. "holy!"

The light of Kairi's magic seemed to be enough to weaken them, giving Ven enough time to slash across the bodies. More were coming, as the darkness seemed to surround them and make the very air around them dense and cold.

All of a sudden, there was a light and warmth that seemed to surround them. Just inches away from Kairi's face was a darkling who was being torn asunder by a very familiar and very bright keyblade.

"Axel!" Kairi breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hey there, kiddo. Couldn't help but realize you have a habit of getting into trouble when your old buddy Lea isn't around." Lea noted tenderly.

"I always know my friends have my back." Kairi smiled. "Do you want me to call you Lea now?"

"Yeah. I think I'm ready to go back." Lea nodded, and then quickly moved his keyblade in front of his face, blocking a darkling that was attacking.

The large bodies of Riku and Terra's keyblades split some darklings. All around Darklings were being vanquished thanks to three- no, four keyblades.

"Ven, Kairi, are you alright?" It was Aqua. "You had me so worried!"

The keyblade master leapt out of the bushes and used a water spell to trap three of the darklings. She ended up right in between the two who had run away and pulled them into a brief hug.

"Its fine, Aqua. We found them just in time." Terra called out.

"Terra? I thought Namine was checking your memory." Aqua did a flip and slashed through an enemy to get to her friend.

"She's done. Now they're wanting me to swap with Ven." Terra looked to Ven as he attacked a couple of more. At that point, all of the Darklings were gone.

"Wait, did you guys not find anything?" Everyone circled up.

"No, although Namine seemed optimistic at the end there. There are also some new visitors that inspired the change-up." Terra explained.

"Who is it?" Kairi asked.

"Its Larxene and Marluxia, two of the organization members. They're the ones who kept Nam imprisoned at Castle Oblivion." Riku filled in.

"And you left Nami alone with them?!" Kairi glared at Riku.

"She already gave them a caveat that she never be alone with either of them. Isa, Roxas and Xion are seeing that they hold up their end of the bargain." Riku called his friend.

"Alright, but if anything happens, I'm holding it against you." Kairi huffed.

"Don't worry, you won't be the only one." Riku replied softly.

"Hey, I know you care about her. I just worry sometimes. Don't give yourself a hard time." Kairi softened her look. "You really have changed, Riku."

"I know. I just made a promise to someone I'd keep her safe. And I know you were partially playing, Kai." Riku gave a soft smile.

"Chirithy, you said those things were Darklings and that we'd dealt with them before?" Ven knelt down to his friend.

"Yes, but it's a long story. They were what's left of keyblade wielders after they succumb to darkness." Chirithy jumped into Ven's arms. "They're bad news; worse than the heartless, even."

"Then how are they different from heartless?" Kairi asked.

"Heartless are made when people's hearts are ripped from them by force. You become a darkling only through choice." Chirithy piped up.

"Yikes." Lea shook his head. "yet another headache."

"We ought to stick around and see what's causing them." Kairi decided.

"Sounds like a plan. Riku, can you go back with Ven?" Terra asked. "The rest of us can stick around and do some investigations."

"Sure. Are you ready, Ven?" Riku looked to the boy.

"Wait, I don't even get to decide if I want my memory picked at for two strangers?" Ven scooped.

"Don't you want to see what your past holds?" Aqua placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I don't know. I like my present self. What if I find something I don't like? All I know is I trained under Xehanort. I don't think I want to go back to that memory so quickly." Ven looked down.

"Hey, we've all made mistakes, Ven. No matter what happens, we'll still be your friends." Terra added.

"Besides, you're like what, 16? What's the worst they could find? You'll be fine, so get that memorized." Lea interjected.

"Thanks, everyone. I guess I'll go then. Riku, do you have your keyblade armor?" Ven asked.

"My...what?" Riku questioned.

"Huh. A keyblade master who doesn't know how to get into the realms between or have armor." Ventus shook his head.

"I am self taught." Riku added, reminding Ven of his situation.

"I'll teach it to anyone whose in twilight town when I'm done with this memory thing." Ven decided.

"Ooh, wait till I get back! I wanna learn, too!" Lea cried out.

"We can teach you here." Aqua chuckled.

With that, Riku Chirithy and Ventus headed out to the new gummi ship, which had still lacked a name. Riku figured they could get to that later. He would have gone with Highwind, but that was the name of the ship Kairi was using. Perhaps he'd come up with one on the way back.

Meanwhile, the others decided to go back to the village and introduce themselves to Moana and Maui, as well as to update her on the situation with the enemy. First it was the heartless and now the Darklings. Throw in the nobodies and the unversed, and you'd have yourself a party.

"Did You find your your friend?" Moana asked.

"Ventus, yes. He is going away for a bit. As for Sora, it turns out he was never here." Kairi answered.

"In the middle of the night?" Moana seemed surprised.

"Yeah, he has a friend that can see in the dark." Lea added. "The name is Lea, and this is Terra. I'm sure you'll get it memorized."

"And I'm Maui. Got all the introductions finished? Great. Because here comes trouble!" Maui pointed his hook at some darklings and heartless who had followed the group from the forest.

Together, they attacked. Lea grabbed Kairi's hands and spun her around a couple of times. As she flew through the air, she performed a fire dash right into the heart of the cluster. Maui had since given himself a shark head and was angrily running towards the enemy. Moana armed herself with a long pole and was jumping and slashing at the heartless as best as she could.

Aqua had pulled quite a few of the enemies into a magnet while Terra was hacking away at the cluster. There were so many of them all together. Kairi found herself breathing heavily, but she managed to keep going. It had been a long day. She wanted nothing more than to find Sora and watch the sun set. But seeing as that was nigh impossible, she would just have to settle for a good night's sleep.

Seeing the huge group around them, Kairi pulled out the charm Rinoa had given her and felt the magic sweeping through her as she held it up. She wasn't sure exactly what it would do, but Rinoa had told her to use it in times of trouble. As of from the forest itself, a large group of big yellow birds ran in a straight line, trampling the remaining Darklings, nearly catching Terra in the process. He was lucky Aqua was near enough to pull him close to her and to safety.

When all of the enemies were defeated, they returned to one of the large huts back in town. Kairi noticed the woven pictures that lined the walls. There were inked displays of fearsome monsters and grand adventures that Kairi wished she knew the story for. One had someone who looked like Maui, but Kairi couldn't quite tell.

"And now we have a different kind of monster? Where could they be coming from?" Moana rubbed her temples.

"It's gotta be some new spawn from the realm of monsters." Maui decided.

"The realm of monsters?" Kairi asked.

"Yeah. There's all sorts of creatures there. If we go to investigate, we could probably go poke fun at that old crab cake, too." Maui laughed.

"What could be causing the monsters to get out, though?" Moana mused.

"Guess we won't know until we check it out." Aqua pointed out.

"Okay, we'll leave in the morning. Get your rest, everyone." Moana began walking back towards the village.

The night was uneventful, as our group collapsed on the ground, exhausted from the night's work. Except for one. Since Terra had been sleeping for the last two days, he found it hard to sleep now. Besides, he spent so long being Ansem's shadow that he had a hard time sleeping anyway. Aqua had been worried about him, but he assured her he was just fine. She trusted him though, but kept close in case he needed her.

When dawn came, the group met on the sands of the shore, ready and eager to face the day. Well, everyone but Kairi and Lea. Both were still rubbing the sleep from their eyes and stretching. Kairi tried splashing some sea water on her face. It worked well enough when she was at home, and the same proved to be true here.

"Hey, can I get some of that? I am just not a morning person, you know?" Lea leaned down beside his friend.

With a laugh, Kairi splashed the water, causing a huge amount of ocean to run into Lea's face. He spit the water out and gave a wry smile. "Thanks"

"This is going to be a dangerous mission. Are you sure you guys are ready?" Moana noted, finishing up with some ropes on the large boat.

"Yeah. We're more than ready." The now-awake Lea smirked.

"Alright, it's your funeral." Maui shrugged before turning into a giant hawk. "Want me to come along?"

"Yeah. We recently got word that our friend isn't around here. It'd be good to have an extra pair of hands."

"Alright then. Last one there owes me a boat snack!" Maui called out before flying away.

"We'll see about that. Everybody! To the boat! And hold on!" Moana released the rope that let down the sail.

At first, the boat seemed to drift lazily into the tide and head past the barrier reef. Kairi looked at Lea, who looked at Terra who looked at Aqua. Moana let out a long whistle and asked the ocean for some help. Before they knew it, the boat was flying through the ocean at a terrible speed.

Aqua let out a laugh, holding onto the side of the boat. Terra sat still, his hair waving frantically in the wind. Kairi held onto her bench with one hand and shielded her eyes with the other. Lea, however had a rough start. He hadn't expected the ocean to lurch them forward, and hadn't been able to find a hand hold fast enough. Currently, he was laying on the bottom of the boat, looking up to see Moana making her way to the stern.

From somewhere in the air, they could hear Maui shout, "That's cheating!"

Axel sat up, finally getting used to the speed of the boat. "So, how far is this realm of monsters, anyway?"

"Not too much further. With the ocean carrying is at this rate, we should be there soon." Moana answered.

"How do you control the ocean?" Kairi placed her free hand on the boat to stay steady.

"It chose me to bring back the heart of a goddess." Moana stated simply.

"A heart, huh?" Aqua wondered. "Who stole it?"

"Maui." Moana replied. "But he helped me return it."

"Right." Axel breathed a sigh of relief. "Wake me when we get there, I need a nap."


	10. Old Friends, Old Enemies

hey everyone, sorry about the wait! I've been tied up with some other projects and didn't give this one as much love as it deserves. hope you like it and don't forget to review! thanks for all of the favorites and follows!

**Sora**

Morning came much more quickly than Sora expected. The light shone through his window and he stirred to try and get out of its rays. Zack was an early riser, though, and Sora could hear noises out in the front room. He must be exercising.

When Sora meandered out into the living room, he saw Zack with a set of hand weights, a resistance band and a yoga mat.

"Good morning Sora. Hope I didn't wake you." Zack seemed to be just about done and was stretching out on the yoga mat

"No, you didn't. I just felt like it was about time to get up, that's all." Sora looked in the cupboard to see what there was to eat.

"Cool. We have lots of stuff in the kitchen, help yourself." Zack finished up his stretches.

"Thanks." Sora found a peach. "Say, Zack. You said you were in the Olympus Coliseum for a while. Did you meet Herc?"

"Yeah. He and I would have trained together, had I not left so soon." Zack noted.

"That's right. Who were you looking for?" Sora asked, mouth half full. "This is really good!"

Zack had to laugh. "A friend of mine by the name of Sephiroth. You seem to know my friends, did you ever meet him?"

Sora spit the peach out. "You're friends with that guy?"

Zack looked from Sora to the peach and back again. "Yeah."

"Sorry, I just never really got good vibes from him. And Cloud didn't seem to like him much, either." Sora admitted.

"He may be a little cold on the outside, but once you get to know him, he's quite the amazing swordsman. I really look up to him." Zack gushed.

Sora knew just how good of a swordsman Sephiroth was, alright. The two had sparred on more than one occasion. Sora rubbed his arm. He could still feel the cuts he got when they had fought. Realizing what he had done, he picked up the peach bite and tossed it in the trash can.

"I guess it has been a while since I've seen him. The Cloud I remember was quiet, but eager to do a good job when asked. He and I got really close. It'll be nice to see him again." Zack hummed.

"That doesn't sound like the Cloud I know. He is quiet alright, but he doesn't exactly seem the buddy-buddy type."

"Well, I suppose it has been a decade since I've seen him. I wonder how everyone else is doing." Zack pondered.

"Well, they seemed alright when I saw them. Except Tifa owes me some munny from a dare we did, and Yuffie was going to show me how to use her ninja stars."

"Yuffie is there? She stole my wallet! I've gotta get back now!"

Zack and Sora laughed.

"What about Aerith? Is she okay?" Zack asked in a hushed tone.

"Yeah. Last I saw she was just fine. She and Leon were keeping everyone together, like usual." Sora reported

Zack smiled tenderly. "That's good."

Sora had seen that face before. Riku had worn it occasionally as they and Kairi watched the sunset together. instantly he understood exactly what Zack was feeling.

"We can go see her when we infiltrate Maleficent's castle today!" Sora bit his peach again.

"Yeah. Speaking of which, we should go check at the fountain to see if Rin came back."

"Sounds great!" Sora finished his breakfast and grabbed another peach as he followed Zack out the door.

"Hey Zack, Sora. How'd you guys sleep last night?" Lightning approached.

"Great! The bed was really comfortable." Sora smiled.

"Any sign of Rinoa yet?" Zack questioned.

"No, I'm afraid not. We're going to get into search parties here in a minute." Lightning sighed. "I wonder what got into that girl."

Zack and Sora nodded at each other and joined the small group of people that had converged. Brain appeared out of nowhere, standing on the rim of the fountain. There were more people there that hadn't joined them for dinner the night before.

Sora saw a giant blue cat man with a broken horn, a woman with a long black dress and ebony hair and Riku. Wait, Riku? No, Sora was just seeing things. He almost looked like Yozora, too, but his hair was all black. In a group of worlds with millions and millions of people, Sora supposed there had to be _some_ who looked alike.

"Wait, I'll be there in a minute!" A girl with a ponytail on the side of her head came running over. Lighting made her way to the girl's side and quietly asked if she was alright. The girl simply smiled and looked to Brain for his announcement.

"Alright, we're going in groups of three. Khimari, Serah and Noctis, you go check the forest. Quistis, Zidane and Ignis, check the town. Bartz, Lulu and Terra, why don't you go to the flower field on the other side of town. You know how she loves it over there." Brain organized. "Be safe, everyone. Meet back here at noon."

"What about us?" Sora called.

"I've got another job for you three." Brain hopped off the fountain.

"What do you need us to do?" Lightning asked as they circled around their leader.

"I want you guys to go back to Maleficent's castle." Brain adjusted his hat.

"Why would she go there?" Lightning gasped.

"I have a feeling Rinoa found exactly what she was looking for." Brain replied.

Sora and Zack looked at each other and nodded. If Rinoa could make it out, then so could they. Sora hoped that the machine wouldn't be too hard to find. Of course, he also knew that he needed to destroy the machine. He recalled the king's letter, and how Maleficent and Pete were almost trapped in the data scape once. They had been merciful last time and those two had continued to cause trouble. Sora didn't know if he should offer them the same mercy this time.

"Alright, let's get going!" Zack did a squat.

"Right." Sora nodded.

They made sure to stock up on supplies and accessories before leaving. On their way out of town, they happened to run past an older man who was watching over a large group of gigantic yellow birds who looked like they had just finished running a long way.

"Hey there, Cid! How are your chocobos?" Zack waved.

"Oh, alright. Is Rinoa in a spot of trouble?" He asked, stopping.

"We don't know. We're looking for her, actually. Why do you ask?" Lightning explained.

"A while ago, she really helped me with keeping the monsters out of our way, so I gave her a summon charm that's connected to my herd here. Whenever she uses it, they trample whatever is in front of her. I was watching my birds when they all disappeared, poof!" The man moved his hands like an explosion. "If she used the charm, then maybe she's in trouble."

"Any way to figure out where the charm was used?" Sora asked.

"Sorry, kid."

"Thanks anyway."

There was an uncertain silence as they continued travelling to Maleficent's castle. It would take a good amount of time for them to get to the castle in the first place, so Sora decided to strike up conversation.

"That's a pretty cool sword you have, Zack. What is it called?" Sora poked.

"It's the Buster Sword. I had one of our local blacksmiths make it when I got here." Zack smiled. "You know, yours reminds me a little of ones I knew of when I was younger."

"Really? Where at?" Sora gasped.

"At the colosseum. I fought with and against these three people with all different blades, but they had the same feel as yours."

"No way! Do you remember their names?" Sora asked eagerly.

"Yeah, it was Aqua, Terra and Ventus. Never did get to take Aqua out on that date. Any chance you know them?" Zack smirked.

Sora's smile only grew as he continued walking. He hadn't gotten to spend much time with those three, but he still felt warmth anytime they were mentioned. Part of it may have been because of how long Ven had spent so long in his heart. But most of it was because they were his friends.

"Actually, yeah. I'll have to bring them here some day." Sora replied, choosing his words carefully.

"How are they doing? Have the last 10 years treated them well?" Zack inquired.

"Well…" Sora paused. "Lets just say they've been keeping busy.

"I see. Well, when we see them again, I'd love to spar against Terra again. He was such a strong fighter." Zack smiled. "I'd like to think I'm almost a hero now. Just waiting for my big break."

"I'm sure you'll find it. Trouble isn't ever far from me, it seems." Sora laughed.

"We're in the same boat, then. We've been dealing with Maleficent and her heartless for a long time." Lightning sighed. "I would love to give her a piece of my mind."

"You might just be in luck. With this many heartless coming at us, it looks like she's home!" Zack pulled out his sword.

There just ahead was a huge demon tide and a few heartless Sora couldn't name. Lightning called out a spell and stopped a few of them in their tracks. Zack called dibs on the demon tide, so Sora jumped up and began slashing at the first heartless he saw.

Sora was glad that he was finally getting some of his strength back. He had even recalled a few of the abilities he had lost. He had to admit, he loved being able to flip and fly through battle, and with the reemergence of some of his moves, he was able to feel a bit like himself again. Though he couldn't tell who, he knew that someone had once told him that memories never really go away.

He leapt up into the air and brought his keyblade down with a satisfying swing. After that, Sora threw it at one of the smaller shadows, this one looking a little different from the rest. He had destroyed it before he could get a good look, but this one had a hood and pants with red all over its body. Shaking off his confusion, Sora jumped right back into the fray. He found himself back to back with Lightning, who also had a sword drawn. They nodded at each other and lightning summoned an aero spell, slashing furiously at the whirlwind.

It seemed Zack was having a problem with the demon tide, so after Lightning and Sora finished up with their enemies, they dashed over to help. Zack and Sora charged at the enemy, focusing on the ball of squirming heartless that made up the demon tide. Lightning was clearing the back, slashing and parrying with each second. Sora stood in awe of her swordsmanship. He was going to have to ask for some tips.

With the three of them combined, it didn't take long at all for the demon tide to be demolished. Breathing heavily, Sora used a cure spell to heal them all. Cure might heal wounds, but it does nothing for stamina. All three of them slumped down on the grass for a small break.

"Thanks guys. Guess I wasn't quite as prepared as I thought." Zack breathed heavily.

"No, I don't think it was you, Zack. I felt it too. These guys must have gotten a power up." Sora looked toward where the enemies had been.

"It must mean Maleficent is home." Zack stretched.

"So what now then?" Sora asked.

"We have to keep going. Rinoa might be in the castle somewhere." Lightning concluded.

"Yeah. Wouldn't be able to call myself a hero if I ran away now. Do we have enough supplies?" Zack inquired.

"I think so. We also have this, if times get hard." Lightning held out a small pendant.

The pendant was good with a dark blue stone in the middle. Intricately carved into the stone was a familiar looking Rose in a glass case.

"Is that what I think it is?" Sora gasped.

"It's a summon charm. Serah found it in Daybreak town and gave it to me." Lightning placed the pendant around her neck.

"But do you know who it summons?" Sora quizzed excitedly.

"No, I've never used it before. Do you?" Lightning responded.

"If I'm right, it will summon the Beast! Or at least his fighting spirit. That's what Merlin told me, anyway. He's going to be a great help!" Sora grinned wildly.

"Excellent! Let's keep moving, team. We should be there soon. But keep your eyes open. If Maleficent really is home, chances are good she'll insist on coming to give us a tour personally." Zack looked in the castle's direction.

"We should probably have a plan, just in case something goes wrong." Sora leaned back on his hands, still sitting.

"Yeah. Under no circumstances should we split up." Lightning added.

Zack and Sora shot each other a glance. I'm hoping to get home, they hadn't even considered lightning's safety. Now that they knew Maleficent was home, they couldn't just go through with it.

"Okay, so the plan then is just to look around and see if we can find what we're looking for." Zack stated.

"Who we're looking for. We can't just leave Rinoa hanging." Lightning corrected.

"Right. We'll find her, I promise. Lets just take a minute or two to rest." Sora leaned forward.

"It is about lunch time. You guys want something to eat?" Zack suggested.

"Yeah, I could go for something!" Sora happily perked up. Food always made things better.

Lightning pulled some of the food from her bag, including baggies of carrots and grapes, jerky and bread. Sora could even see some cheese in there, which she later pulled out to put on the bread. They were pretty close to Maleficent's castle, but somehow this little picnic behind a large rock was comforting. It reminded Sora of when he, Donald and Goofy were thinking about having a picnic before meeting Rapunzel and Eugene.

He couldn't help but wonder where the real organization was, now that they had all been completed again. He wondered too if they all were as nice as Ienzo. Maybe someday he would try to make friends with them, despite the past. Until then, however, he needed to focus on getting home to Kairi.

The three sat amicably , but quietly beside the rock. The sun was shining down on them, and a couple of lazy clouds passed across the sun. Sora looked up in wonder. All of this was just a data world? But it looked, felt and tasted so real.

Who was Brain, anyway? Who were his friends in the real world? There were so many questions Sora needed answers to. His heart told him to keep going, and they would come soon. For the most part, Sora always had obeyed what his heart commanded. But this time, he had his doubts. Was there really nothing else he could do?

"Hey, earth to Sora, we're heading out now." Zack was kneeling beside him and rested a hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah." Sora nodded. "Let's go."

**Namine**

Namine was holed up in the room with the pod. Isa made Lauriam and Elrena promise never to come down here, so that Namine could have some refuge. So far they seemed alright. They had been keeping their distance and trying to strike up conversation with Roxas and Xion.

Xion had convinced Roxas to give the two a chance. she hadn't spent any time with them, as just being near Castle Oblivion gave her headaches so powerful that she fainted. Roxas had come down to check on Namine once already. He reported that they had summoned their own Chirithies, similar to the one Ventus knew and occasionally hang around with.

"I just don't know, Roxas. The Sora inside of me says to forgive and forget, but I don't want to. Am I wrong for thinking that way?" Namine asked.

"You know, I spent a long time being angry. I was angry with everyone for keeping secrets and putting me on some sort of pedestal. But when I finally rejoined Sora, I understood that the anger inside me was doing nothing but confusing me and keeping me from seeing things as they really were. I don't know why those two were particularly nasty as nobodies. But I don't get the feeling they're that way anymore." Roxas noted.

"I guess so." Namine mumbled.

"Do you want to come up and join us? We were about to have some ice cream." Roxas held out his hand.

"Maybe in a little bit. I have to call Terra and update him on where Sora might be. Thank you, though. You've given me some things to think about." Namine smiled.

"Okay. I'm sure Xion will be down before we head to bed. Don't...Don't work yourself too hard, Namine." Roxas began to head back upstairs.

Was it really possible they had changed? We were talking about two of the worst of the organization, right behind Xemnas and Xigbar. Come to think of it, he had once asked about her memory powers, too. She had only met him once, and he didn't seem mean, in fact he had been decent to her. But there was something about Xigbar that made her wonder if he didn't have other plans afoot.

Namine shook herself out of that train of thought. She needed to contact Terra. She laughed a little as the phone rang. If only it had been this easy to contact lingering will.

"Namine, what's going on?" Terra's smooth voice sounded in her ear.

"I just wanted to call you and update you on what I found in Sora's memory. He's with someone you know named Zack." Namine reported.

"Zack? Wow, it's been a long time since I heard that name. So he's at the colosseum, then?" Terra asked.

"No, that's the thing. They're in some world I haven't seen in anyone's memory. But that's definitely the same Zack you met." Namine nodded.

"Thank you, Namine." Terra breathed.

"But there's one more problem; they're not safe yet. In the memory I saw, they had left Pete in Maleficent's castle." Namine worried.

"Then they're in enchanted dominion!" Terra perked up.

"Maybe. Does that world have a big clock tower in the nearby town?" Namine asked.

"No, not that I remember. Was the castle falling apart?" Terra clarified.

"No, it seemed pretty pristine." Namine replied.

"Back to square one, I guess. But at least now I can tell Kairi he is in good hands." Terra sighed. "You're always looking out for everyone, aren't you?"

"I started my life kept in isolation with people who only wanted to use me. Now that I have friends, I understand just how precious they can be. I don't want anyone else to suffer like I did." Namine replied.

"I see." Terra smiled.

"Good luck, Terra." Namine hung up the phone and took a deep breath. Should she take the leap?

**Riku**

Sitting in the gummi ship. Riku and Ven waited as the warp gummi warmed up. Thankfully they would be back in twilight town soon enough, but something had been bugging Riku ever since he had left Motunui.

"Hey, Ven, if you really don't want to have Namine look in your memories, you don't have to. I feel terrible for dragging you out here without actually asking for your permission." Riku turned to his traveling companion. "Nam wouldn't dare touch them if you were in any way hesitant."

"Yeah, I know that. I guess I got swept up in it, too. But I've been thinking about the things I don't know. There is so much; another lifetime it seems. Every time I talk to Chirithy, I picture these faces and recognize names, but it's all hazy. I want to know what's hiding inside my heart." Ven placed a hand on his chest.

"I get that. Hold on, here comes the warp drive."

The ship began moving even faster, and both Riku and Ven could feel a tightening on their chests as they went along for the ride. Neither had been too used to it, as Ven normally used his keyblade armor and Riku had been used to the dark corridors.

Then just like that, Twilight town was staring them in the face. After the ship was parked, they headed into the mansion. Roxas, Xion, Lauriam and Elrena were sitting on some sofas eating sea salt ice cream. The air seemed a lot more comfortable then it had been last time, and the four seemed to be chatting.

"Ventus, thanks for coming." Lauriam noticed the two and stood up.

"You're the Marluxia and Larxene I've heard about." Ventus stepped closer.

"Those were our names as nobodies. Our real names are Lauriam and Elrena." Lauriam introduced himself. "Do you two want some ice cream?"

"Sure, I guess." Ventus sat down on the sofa closest to him. "So how do you know me again?"

"If we're going through the backstory, we may as well have Namine up here, too." Elrena suggested.

"I can go get her. Is she downstairs?" Riku volunteered.

"It's okay, I'm here." Came a small voice.

It was Namine, who was huddled against the wall, both hands sliding across it. When she saw Riku, she took a deep breath and ran over to his side. On one couch was Xion, Namine, Riku and Ventus, while on the sofa facing them was Roxas, Lauriam and Elrena.

"Everyone comfy?" Lauriam asked. "Good. Now we can begin."

He began the tale of everything he remembered. From the unions to the desperate hunt for lux to joining the dandelions and escaping his fate. Lauriam grew quiet though, as he spoke of his despair when he realized that not only had his sister to be missing, but that she had been struck down.

"I can't say why it happened. But I'm going to find out who did it. You were there for a lot of that, Ventus. Are you sure you don't remember it?" Lauriam looked at him.

"It's strange. Everything you've said just went over my head. I'm having a hard time comprehending it. But at the same time, my heart warms when I hear about Skuld, Ephemer and Brain. You said they were my friends, right?" Ventus admitted.

"Yes, although you were more attached to those two than to Brain and I."

Ventus was quiet for a minute. "Okay. Namine, I'm ready. Let's see what my heart is hiding."

Namine nodded, leading ventus down the hall into the secret passage to the basement. There were a few smaller pods that lined the hallway. Ven found himself reaching out for one, his expression soft and somber. There was a memory here, too. He hated that so much of himself was hidden in the far reaches of his heart. He still held a little fear to find out who he had been in the past, but he also knew that whoever he was before wouldn't be who he is now.

"These had some show of usage when we got here. DiZ didn't even know who lived here before we took over." Namine explained.

"I wonder if they're a part of my past." Ventus gazed up at the pod."

"We'll find out soon enough. The main pod is through here."

The two stepped into a large white room with a gigantic pod that was shaped like a flower. Beside it was a small chair and computer. The ground near the computer was littered with ice cream wrappers and sticks, crumpled up pieces of paper and colored pencils strewn about.

"You just step in here and I'll take care of the rest." Namine held out her hand.

"Will I be awake?" Ventus asked.

"No. You'll sleep. You may dream, but I can't say what of or if you'll remember it afterwards."

"Okay." Ven nodded.

Namine took a seat where she normally worked. She moved aside some of the wrappers and picked up her sketch pad. In her mind's eye, she found herself in the land of departure, the place Ven called home. Sitting on the main seat in the hall was a crystallized version of Ventus. Usually when she worked with memories, she found herself inside the person's heart. With Sora and Kairi it was destiny islands.

_Can't say I've ever seen anything like this before_. Namine thought.

As she approached the seat, Namine could see that this version of ventus was made up of many chains swirling in circles. As she reached out to touch them, they suddenly shattered, leaving a red chain in its wake.

Namine bent over and picked it up. It was just like every other chain of memories she had seen, but the memories seemed to have a red filter over them.These memories felt familiar. It made sense. They felt like the lost memories she found within Sora's heart all those months ago. It had been the whole reason she erased jiminy's journal and created a data Riku to protect it. She had to admit it was a bit of a bias that made her do it, but she could trust Riku with absolutely anything. So of course she would give a version of him charge over Sora's adventures.

Like normal, Namine liked to start at the beginning of the chain. These memories were cold, as if they had been in storage for a long time. As she continued to unravel the ball and get closer to the beginning, the chains got smaller and smaller. Namine sighed. This was going to require a bit more work than usual.

Out in the real world, Riku had left the conversation between Roxas, Xion, Lauriam and Elrena to come check on Namine. As was per usual, she was sketching in her pad, a faraway look in her eyes. Riku took a look at the notebook and saw the picture she had been drawing. On it was one whom Riku had assumed to be Ven, his hair sticking up in all sorts of directions. Next to him was a girl with long black hair. Next to her was a boy with short white hair and a red scarf. They must have been ventus's friends.

Riku noticed all of the wrappers and trash around her workspace and decided to start cleaning up. Namine have a little smile, noticing him. He smiled back and returned to his work, hoping to make things comfortable for her. He looked again at ventus. He had slept for so long, and here he was again, sleeping as if nothing mattered. His face was so similar to Sora's, and yet there were a few subtle differences that made it all his own.

Seeing that Namine had everything she needed, Riku headed back up to see what was going on. Everyone had moved outside to the courtyard. It seemed there was a friendly spar. Lauriam had a keyblade with a theme of flowers on it. Xion and Roxas were teaming up on him, with Elrena and the chirithies sitting with her. They seemed to be enjoying themselves, and Lauriam was holding those two off pretty well.

"Hey. Looks like everyone's having some fun." Riku sat next to her, trying to make friendly conversation.

"Yeah. Lauriam was able to remember how to use his keyblade almost right away." Elrena mentioned.

"It's hard to believe you guys would have keyblades." Riku added.

"We weren't always mean. Some of us just had a harder time making friends." Elrena defended.

"Sorry, I wasn't trying to be mean." Riku apologized.

"I get it. I know its going to be hard for you guys to get used to trusting us." Elrena watched the match.

"It is possible, though." Riku responded.

"Do you really think Namine can get to the bottom of this?" Elrena asked.

"If anyone can, its Namine." Riku smiled.

"You like her, don't you?" Elrena smirked.

"Well yeah, she's my friend." Riku smiled tenderly.

"That's not what I mean and you know it." Elrena replied.

Riku paused. "How did you know?"

"I can read people pretty well. That's probably why I never really had many friends. They all seemed kinda...I don't know, over confident? I read people well when it comes to this stuff, but I never really gave people a chance, is what I'm trying to say, I guess."

"Then maybe you should reevaluate your ability to judge if someone would be a good friend. People might surprise you." Riku noted.

"Strelitzia said something like that to me, once. Neither of us were any good at making friends, but she was the truest one I had." Elrena nodded. "I'm going to do anything I can to help see that she gets justice."

"We'll see it through. I'm sure Namine will find something. Especially if he really did play a part in the unions like you guys said." Riku confirmed. "One thing I don't get- what happened to you guys between the keyblade war and now?"

"I can't remember. That part is a bit hazy. The only thing I really remember was waking up as a nobody, and Xemnas was talking to Lauriam and I." Elrena gave her chirithy a pat on the head. "Do you know what happened to us, Chirithy?"

"As far as I know, you were either sleeping or your hearts were residing in someone else's heart." Chirithy guessed.

"Maybe in the pods downstairs?" Riku guessed.

"Who knows. I was in the unicornis union, so I appreciate all of the decorations around here. maybe someone else from the union made it out here and built this mansion?" Elrena questioned.

"We'll have to look into the history of the place, I guess." Riku responded, watching the fight.

"At least here we can try to figure these things out in peace." Elrena shut her eyes and listened to the sound of keyblades clashing.


	11. The realm of monsters

Sorry this one's a little shorter. with the holidays and some side projects taking off, I ran short on time. But I had fun with it. hope you will too!

**Kairi**

Once Kairi had gotten used to the sheer speed of the boat flying across the ocean waves, the ride was really fun. She and aqua took turns seeing if they could spot any wildlife, and surprisingly, Kairi had managed to be the first to spot a pod of very playful dolphins. Lea was still laying down in the boat, although he was in a much more comfortable position.

"I see your wayfinding skills have improved, kid." Maui smirked.

"Wayfinding?" Aqua turned.

"Yeah. It's the skill needed to traverse the ocean. You _find_ your _way_." Maui explained.

Aqua and Terra looked at one another knowingly. Their physical wayfinder charms were still back at the land of departure, hanging on master Eraqus's grave. After everything they had been through though, they didn't need the physical reminder. They would always be together and connected, even if they couldn't be in the same place.

"Its time to get up and moving. We're almost to the realm of monsters." Moana slowed the boat down.

Maui landed on their boat, returning to his usual form. "which one of you wants to be the human sacrifice?"

"Maui, don't scare them." Moana rolled her eyes

"Is that what you really need to get in?" Terra asked, dumbfounded.

"Nah, I just like messing with you mortals, that's all. Now come on, we've got a bit of a climb." Maui waved his hand.

Sure enough, as if rising from the sea below there was a huge pillar of earth. It cast quite the shadow, and the air around them was getting colder. Clouds were forming around the top.

"Well, better get climbing. The realm of monsters is waiting." Maui lay on the boat.

"Aren't you coming?" Aqua asked.

"I have my hook. I can simply fly up to the top in no time." Maui shrugged.

Terra exited the boat and held a hand out for Moana, Kairi and Aqua. He would have held one out for Lea, too, but he had managed to jump out of the boat without any assistance.

"What on earth was underneath me?" Lea tried to brush off the back of his shirt, only to find nothing there.

From the boat came a small cluck cluck noise.

"Boat snack! You came on another adventure!" Maui grabbed the slightly rumpled chicken and set him on one of the seats in the boat.

He began to walk around on the seat and turn around when he got to the edge of the boat.

"He should be fine there." Moana smirked. "Now let's get climbing."

"With all due respect, we've got an easier way. Do you mind if anyone holds you while we climb?" Kairi asked.

"Sure, I guess, but how does one climb faster?" Moana looked on in confusion.

"Watch and learn, princess." Lea smirked.

"Not technically a prin-woah!" Moana gasped as Terra gently picked her up and began his ascent.

"They weren't kidding when they said they had a faster way up. Guess I better get flying!" Maui sat up, startled. With a loud cry, Maui changed himself into a giant hawk and flew up to the peak.

Terra was as careful as he could be while carrying Moana up the rock. He had to be precise with finding footholds and jumping without getting Moana too close to the rock face. He carried her while Aqua carried Kairi on her back. Meanwhile Lea muttered something about how jumping like that was just going to wear them out as he climbed up slowly. Once at the top, Terra put Moana down and used a spell that expedited Lea up to the top.

"Much appreciated, although it would have been nice to have had some help a little earlier. Black isn't exactly the easiest thing to climb in, boss."

"Sorry. The magic only has a certain range, and I had to wait until you were in it." Terra explained.

"Just don't tell Riku I've been slacking on my exercises." Lea sighed.

"Wow, this looks like a big face!" Kairi looked around. "How do we get in from here?"

Maui landed and transformed into his usual form. "You just have to ask nicely."

Maui began speaking in a language none of them knew, and moving his body in time. Kairi was amazed at the sheer power that this seemed to have, despite it only being minimal movement. As soon as he finished, the mouth began to open beneath them, causing some stir among the key bearers.

"It's a long way down, I hope you don't mind the fall! Cheee-hooo!" Maui called as he leapt into the mouth.

"We have to get going. The door won't be open for very long. By the way, you're going to want to hold your breath." Moana followed after him.

Terra and Aqua leapt down, showing no fear.

"Hey, do you wanna hold my hand? That's a little further than I care to drop all by myself." Lea held out his hand.

Kairi swallowed hard. She had dropped down far places before. But Sora was always waiting at the bottom for her. Or Riku, Selphie Tidus or Wakka. She always had a friend to help her. And while Terra and Aqua were both waiting, it was hard to be strong when she couldn't see them.

Without looking, she grabbed Lea's hand and jumped, dragging him down in the process.

The fall wasn't so bad in and of itself. She wasn't expecting there to be water, so getting through that section was a little harder. Still, holding Lea's hand did help to keep her calm.

Terra and Aqua hadn't known how much further they needed to go. When the ground was coming at them faster than expected, Terra instinctively grabbed Aqua and picked her up bridal style. After so long of being Ansem's shadow, it was a reflex for him to protect others with his own body.

But the crash never came. Instead, Terra landed on his feet, still clutching onto Aqua. She had used a barrier spell just as they landed, causing Terra to jump a little with the leftover force, but keeping them safe.

Terra was still holding on to Aqua as she slowed down the descent for Kairi and Lea with her magic. As she realized how she was situated, a deep blush came over her face. "We're safe now, Terra."

"What? Oh, sorry." His blush matched hers as he gently set her down.

"I wouldn't exactly say that." Maui helped them dodge a flying monster. "This place is suicide for mortals if they don't know where to go."

"Where do you suggest we go? This place is huge!" Kairi looked in awe.

"I hate to say it, but I think we should go see that crabcake Tamatoa. Even though he isn't as mobile as he used to be, he is still our best bet." Maui suggested.

"Who's Tamatoa?" Kairi asked Moana.

"A big crab monster who stole Maui's hook once upon a time. They've been fighting for decades. Last time we were here, we ended up turning him on his back."

The whole of the realm of monsters was incredibly colorful, despite the fact that just about everything was attempting to kill them. It was quite a sight to see, and Kairi stood and watched a monster flower engulf a smaller creature who had flown too close. Lea pushed her along as she watched.

They made it towards a crag with a giant shell situated on top. From where they stood, they could see a giant crab who had since fallen asleep. One of the sections of his leg was missing. There were bits of gold pieces surrounding him.

"Hey, barnacle bucket! Wake up!" Maui poked at the crab with his hook.

"Wh-what? Oh, its you. Back to take off another one of my legs?"

"Nah, wouldn't be any fun with you unable to move like that. We want some information."

"Like I'm going to say anything more to you." The crab attempted to cross his claws.

"We can make it worth your while." Moana noted in a sing song voice. "We can put you upright."

"What's to say I won't grab you and eat you before I give you the information?" Tamatoa rolled his eyes.

"Pretty sure your freedom is worth the risk." Maui smirked.

"Alright, alright, but make it quick. I don't want word going around about how much help I needed." Tamatoa sighed.

Everyone gathered on one side of the crab. Maui, Terra, Lea and Moana began pushing while Kairi and Aqua aimed an aero spell at the crab.

"Finally, life returns to normal!" Tamatoa cried out gleefully.

"Alright, time to fill in your side of the agreement. We want information." Moana folded her arms. "There have been monsters showing up topside. How are they getting out?"

"Impossible. The barrier is too thick for monsters to get out. Why do you think I haven't chased after your semi demigod over here?" Tamatoa replied.

"Wait, have other monsters besides the Darklings been getting out?" Kairi asked.

"Well, they've been mostly rumors, but there were some missing persons reports given to me recently, and I didn't want to scare anyone." Moana admitted.

"Did we leave the town unguarded?" Kairi realized.

"No, nonononono" Moana clarified. "I alerted my dad and he's making the necessary measures to ensure safety."

"At least the townspeople are safe then." Aqua sighed.

"Are you holding out on us?" Maui held his hook up.

"If I am, you don't really have much leverage on me, now do you?" Tamatoa smirked as he began walking back into his home.

"Looks like we'll have to do it the hard way, then." Terra shook his head and hit the ground right in front of the lair, causing the ground to rise and become uneven where the giant crab stood. Tamatoa drew back just enough that at the peak of his movements, Aqua used an aero spell to knock him back over on his shell.

"You were saying about leverage?" Moana looked smugly at the crab.

"Oh fine, fine." There's a hole about two miles that way in the water. I don't know who is causing it or why it's there, but it seems like only a few monsters have seen it so far. Now get me up from here." Tamatoa demanded. "I gave you what you wanted."

"That was payment for the first time we set you right. What are you going to give us to help you a second time?" Maui asked.

"Fine, uh, you can have that mask." Tamatoa pointed to a little mask on top of the pile.

Kairi made her way over and picked it up. It was a familiar shaped mask, purple and silver in the shape of a fox. While Maui was arguing with Tamatoa that it wasn't enough, Kairi looked deeply into the Fox's eyes.

"Where did you get this?"

"Oh, some- thing came into my lair looking for someone named Moana. Told her I didn't know her. So we had a bit of a scuffle." Tamatoa replied flippantly.

"But that's me." Moana looked at Kairi.

"What does Ava want from Moana?" Kairi wondered. "Oh, did you by chance have a strange dream last night?"

"You said it was going to be someone telling me I'm a princess, right?" Moana recalled.

"Yes!" Kairi called back.

"Well, I don't think she was a princess; she was just a kid in a blue dress, probably a little younger than you. She praised me for my curiosity and warned me to avoid someone in a black cloak. She also mentioned to avoid anyone in robes and an animal mask."

"Wait, what? Ava didn't say anything about that last bit." Kairi thought aloud.

"Who is Ava, Kairi?" Aqua asked.

"I'm not sure. But she showed up when we were looking for Sora elsewhere, and gave Tiana that same advice, minus to watch out for someone in an animal mask. Obviously something is going on that we can't see." Kairi slid down the pile of gold and stood by her friends, stashing the mask away for safe keeping.

"Let's call mickey and the others to check on then other princesses when we get back to the ship." Aqua decided.

"I agree." Kairi nodded.

"Okay, you've had your little powwow, now come help me up!" Tamatoa huffed.

After quickly getting the crab back on his feet, they headed for the place that Tamatoa had talked about. As they got closer, they realized there was a small group of monsters, all attempting to get back to the mainland.

"We need to stop these guys!" Kairi called forth destiny's embrace.

"No problem!" Maui gave himself a shark head and ran onto action.

The group jumped in alongside him, pushing back the monsters that had grouped together. With a breath, Moana closed her eyes and silently asked the ocean to close the hole. As if it had bent to her will, water began filling into the hole, but staying at the same level above their head.

They finished chasing the monsters off, and regrouped. "Well, at least that's one problem solved. But I'm worried about my people. What if those creatures decide to attack?" Moana looked to the ocean.

"We can get going. I don't think the creatures are coming from here. Not the Darklings, anyway." Aqua sighed.

"So this was all a side quest that was for nothing?" Lea hit his forehead.

"No, we're on to something, but I don't think we'll have any more clues here. Let's go back and make sure everyone is safe and then go home to regroup." Kairi looked at the mask before hanging it on her belt.

As they were walking back towards a crater to send them back up, they were ambushed by Darklings.

"Now we get to have some fun!" Lea summoned his keyblade.

They fought both Darklings and monsters as they both seemed to team up on our heroes slowly. The monsters seemed to have realized that Moana was the one who had closed up the hole to the outside world. Aqua and Terra kept their eyes on her as they fought, taking extra precautions to protect her, should the need arise.

"Alright, you all should get going before I change my mind and eat you." Tamatoa moved so that he stood over top them.

"Wait, you're helping us escape?" Moana asked, surprised.

"Consider it the last of the rewards for helping me back on my feet. Besides, the demigod is starting to give me a headache. I want you gone, capiche?"

"We'll take it!" Moana laughed a little grabbing Kairi by the hand and running toward the closest geyser. "Come on, everyone! This one is going to go off at any moment!"

They all rushed to Moana's side as the geyser began to blow. Terra held onto Aqua's hand while Lea grabbed Kairi. Together, they pushed through the water and back up to the surface. In the distance, they could see a few monsters flying away.

"They're going towards my island!" Moana clambered onto the boat. "We have to get going!"

The ocean made a wave that picked everyone up and began speeding the canoe forward. "What about Maui?" Kairi asked.

"He's a demigod. He can take care of himself." Moana replied hesitantly, looking back.

A few seconds later, a light shone in the ocean behind them, and out popped Maui in his hawk form. He gave a screech and followed the boat, flying high in the sky. To say they were relieved was an understatement. At least now they could focus on the task at hand and protect Moana's home.

Racing onto the shore, our heroes followed the trail until they could start to see the small village emerging from behind the trees. The monsters were there and attempting to wreak havoc. They would have been successful, too if it weren't for The village militia and one long haired girl holding a keyblade.

"Is...she with you guys?" Moana asked.

"Never seen her before." Kairi responded, hacking at a monster who noticed their presence. "We'll have to get acquainted in just a few minutes."

**????**

Two princesses down. Rapunzel was an easy target, as physical attacks had a hard time penetrating this form. Elsa had put up a bit of a fight, but after Anna was threatened, she came begrudgingly. The next on the list was a chef by the bayou. Should be simple enough.

The form opened a dark corridor and stepped through.

Wordlessly moving through New Orleans,the robed person headed towards the docks, where sat a group of buildings. Most were run-down warehouses and mills. Except for one.

Usually a pretty lively place at night, morning only saw business from the dock workers looking for a cup of coffee or a quick bite to eat for lunch. This pleased the form. No one would be around to hear the scream.

The form brought forth a keyblade and unlocked the door. A bell rang, notifying the staff that someone had entered. Being that the restaurant hadn't even opened yet, Tiana looked up, confused.

"I'm sorry, but we haven't opened yet-" she stopped mid-sentence. "Wait a minute...who are you?"

A great darkness in the shape of a flower appeared behind the intruder. Tendrils of shadow licked at the air, cooling the restaurant substantially.

"Naveen!" Tiana called out, starting to run away.

The figure remained still, but as Tiana ran, the darkness shot forth to catch up with her. Tiana knew her way around the restaurant better than anything. But finesse wouldn't help her here. The pursuing darkness crasheed against the pots and pans that were hanging above the stove tops. Spices flew everywhere, and ingredients thrashed to the floor.

She was almost to the back door when in walked Naveen, wondering why she had called him in a panic. They both fell to the bottom of the stairwell, one on top of the other. And still the darkness followed.

The caster walked slowly in the wake of the darkness's rampage, moving toward the back door as well. The shadows shot toward the two, aiming for whoever's heart would gain results. Seeing that her love was in danger, Tiana stood to protect him.

A bright light emitted from her and the darkness was hurled away. It couldn't touch her. At that point, the caster came out from the kitchen and summoned a keyblade.

"What do y'all want with me?" Tiana held Naveen close.

There was only a smile to be had on the stranger's face. A wry, wicked smile.

"Wait, you're like Ava. She warned me against a person in a black cloak, but didn't say nothing about the likes of you."

Seemingly at the mention of the name Ava, the figure attacked once again, this time the darkness being more ominous. The shadows came at Tiana more quickly and with a more precise aim. Even the brightness in her heart couldn't chase all of the darkness away. Only love could do that, and there wasn't any love to be had for this creature.

Before Tiana could say anything else, the darkness swept over her, and she found herself being carried away. Naveen tried to call for her, but it was no use. She was floating fast. In just a few moments, Tiana was covered in a thick black mist for a short time, and then she could feel herself being thrown down into what looked to be a big concrete jail cell. Sitting on the far end were two other women.

One was in a purple and pink dress with short brown hair and a chameleon on her shoulder. The other one was a girl with her platinum blonde hair and a dark purple dress. The dark cloud dissipated and the three were left on their own.

"So, I take it y'all weren't on the friendly side of that cloud either, huh?" Tiana questioned.

"No, we couldn't even really fight it. I hope everyone isn't too worried." the brunette spoke.

"Magic seemed to be sort of effective against it. But then they threatened my sister." the blond admitted. She looked out the window longingly.

"Why do you think we're here?" Tiana asked. "I'm Tiana, by the way."

"Rapunzel. And this is pascal."

"Elsa."

"It seems we were needed for something." Rapunzel looked around. Outside the cell was whiteness that seemed to go on forever.

"I'm not sure. But whatever it is, it can't be good." Tiana decided.

Elsa at that point was attempting to use her ice powers to break the bars on the windows. It was hopeless. When she saw she couldn't break them out, she sighed and slipped down to the ground, attempting to take deep breaths.

"Are you alright?" Rapunzel asked cautiously.

"No. Long story short, I can't handle confined spaces like this. I had a...complicated childhood." She took another deep breath.

"We'll find some way out of here. We just have to think." Rapunzel replied. "After all, I found out I'm some sort of pure light. Maybe we can use that power."

"Pure light?" Elsa stopped. "Did a girl in blue pants and black hair come to you in a dream, too?"

"No, the one who came to me was blond with a really pretty pink dress." Rapunzel mentioned.

"Mine was a girl in a yellow dress. She said to watch out for someone in a black cloak, but I didn't hear anything about a dark user in a mask."

"That's funny, we heard the warning about both, but it was hard to get away once the person in the cloak came." Elsa and rapunzel agreed.

"Did you guys meet Ava?" Tiana asked.

"No, who's that?" Rapunzel shook her head.

"Maybe that's why." Tiana thought. "Oh! We have to tell Kairi! She might be in danger!"

"Well if you have a plan to get out of here, I'm all ears. We can't warn anyone from in here." Elsa pointed out.

Tiana nodded with remorse. "Just stay safe, Kairi."


	12. Blast from the Past

**Namine**

With a heavy sigh, Namine put down her sketchpad. She was about to break through to something important, she just knew it. But It was as if a big wall were stopping her. Last time this had happened, it was because Sora's memories were being drained out through Roxas and Xion. She rubbed her temples a couple of times and then curled up and rested her head on her arms.

"Why so blue?" Riku asked, entering the room. "You've been down here all night, are you hungry?"

"I don't know. I don't have time for food." Namine sighed again. "Every time I think I get close, I end up hitting a wall. I can't figure out how to make it past."

"Maybe it's time for a break. You'll be able to think better on a full stomach." Riku mentioned, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Thanks, but I know I can get there. I'm so close. There's just something missing. Or, maybe it's just something in the way."

Namine took Riku's extended hand and stood up. She gave him a small, graceful smile and continued to hold his hand on the way back up to the main floor, interlacing their fingers. It was comforting, holding his hand like that. A slight blush filled her face as he gently squeezed her hand back. That was odd. He didn't normally show such affection if anyone was around. Much to Namine's surprise, it was the middle of the night. They were alone.

"I guess I was down there for a long time."

"That's why I came down. I was getting worried about you. Axel-er, Lea made some pizza, why don't we go warm it up."

Namine nodded. "Then why are you up?"

"Couldn't sleep. I have a feeling something bad is going to happen and I don't like it."

"Well, maybe some food would do us both good then. I just hope we don't wake anyone up."

"Roxas and Xion seem to be like Sora and Kairi. They could sleep through just about anything. Lea, too, although they're still out and about. I'm not sure about Isa though." Riku explained. "We should be fine to use the microwave."

They warmed up their pizzas and returned down to the pod room, quietly eating. It was odd. Even though so much had happened, it was almost like no time had passed between the two. It was a comfort to Namine to know that Riku would always be right there to help her if she needed or wanted it.

"Ven has had some interesting experiences." Namine spoke, finishing her pizza.

"Yeah?" Riku sat next to her.

"Mhm. He was the size of a mouse when he went to visit Cinderella." Namine nodded. "I wouldn't mind going to meet her. Do you think we could go after this is all over?"

Riku sighed. "As much as I would like to, I probably wouldn't be able to. They might not see how much I've grown since the last time I was there. I bet Terra and Aqua would love to take you though."

That was right. Riku had been the one to kidnap Cinderella under Maleficent's orders. Well there were plenty of other worlds they could explore together.

"But...there was also something much more sinister there, too." Namine drew her legs up to her chest and rested her head on her knees. "A great darkness."

"That must have been Vanitas." Riku murmured.

"Someone who chose darkness….I- I wonder if there's a way to help him."

"Help him? From what Ven said, it sounds like he was perfectly happy where he was."

"I don't mean take all the darkness away. He just seems...lonely." Namine looked to the pod where Ven was sleeping. "He may have been in Ven's heart, but that's the loneliest place of all."

Riku softly placed his hand on her back. What could he really say? Namine had mentioned what it had been like to be a speck of darkness in a heart full of light. She hadn't been specific, but he knew it hadn't been a pleasant experience for her.

"Do you think he'll ever come back?" Namine looked at Riku.

"I hope not. We have enough on our plate without having to worry about another bad guy."

Little did they know, a heart had wound its way out of a large machine in the heart of the castle at Radiant Garden. It had crossed through the cold void of space, looking for somewhere to inhabit. Thanks to the way hearts were bound to bodies, he would have to find a replica body. But in his wish to be fully repentant, Even had destroyed all of the leftover replicas so they could never be used again.

Knowing that Roxas and Xion could give him a run for his money, Vanitas decided to use a different target. There was a scent of darkness coming off this vessel, the girl who sat next to the only keyblade wielder alive who had been willing and able to utilize the darkness for himself. All he needed to do was push the existing heart out of that replica.

Namine gasped as she felt a cold prick stab at her back. Riku noticed her eyes darken, and she slouched over.

"Namine?! What's going on?" Riku caught the limp body and gave it a slight shake.

Inside the replica, Namine felt herself floating over a stained glass window with a large image of herself holding on to the charm she had made for the Riku replica. In small circles beside her were Riku, Sora, Kairi and DiZ. Standing in front of her was a boy who looked just like Sora, but with dark hair and yellow eyes.

"Vanitas?"

"I'm taking this body for a ride. That means you this is your stop, Blondie."

Namine summoned her weapon. This time, it was a long white trident with tiny gold detailing of a crown on the head

"Get yourself a shiny new toothpick and you think you can fight with the big boys, huh? Well let's see if you deserve to keep this vessel."

Vanitas charged at her, unleashing a barrage if swipes. Namine quickly used a protect spell, shielding her from a large portion of the damage he was causing, though not all. He was fast, too. There were several times where she got a good string of fireballs heading toward him, but he somehow fazed just above her.

Vanitas lunged at her, pushing her down onto the face of the stained glass. Namine was on her back, using all of her strength to hold his attack off her. Her protect spell began to crumble at the pressure he put on her.

"Give up yet, princess?" Vanitas sneered, his face pressed uncomfortably close to hers.

She noticed she was laying atop the star charm from so long ago. It gave her an idea. A terrible idea. Softly, she asked for forgiveness for even trying this again. She found the connection in Sora's heart that led to his and, just as she had once before, placed enough pressure on it to destroy any memories she could find. Perhaps it would cause him to stumble and give her enough time to place a stop spell on him so she could run away. She hadn't gotten that one completely figured out, but she was working on it.

"I'm not that easy to crush, princess." Vanitas chuckled.

Hearing his voice brought Namine back to the fight at hand. It hadn't worked. The darkness in Vanitas was much larger and deeper than she had suspected. And surprisingly, she could feel it was...old. this darkness had been around for a long time. How was it inside Vanitas's heart?

With one last shove, Namine managed to get him off of her and roll so she could stand up. But that was a mistake.

Vanitas thrust his keyblade at her, stabbing her through the chest. "Thanks for the ride, sucker."

He had bested her. As Namine was dragged away from her station of awakening, she could see the stained glass dissipate. It now held a picture where Ventus and Vanitas were laying opposite of each other. She thought she understood more about the dark boy, but her mind was starting to grow fuzzy. Although she wouldn't have minded going back to the world of ocean and sky, she couldn't bear to go back to Kairi's heart.

When her eyes opened, she found herself on the old play island by the paopu tree. It was twilight, the sun reflecting the water. A light breeze brushed past her face.

"Where...am I?"

Meanwhile, Riku was still holding on to Namine's body. She was growing cold. Worry filled his eyes as he kept them on her face. Her expression was pained. What on earth had happened?

Suddenly, Namine was shrouded in darkness, and the replica was lifted from his grasp. When the shadows left, gone was the petite form of the memory witch. It was replaced by Vanitas.

Riku jumped back and summoned braveheart. "Where is she?" He growled.

Vanitas looked down at his hands and new body. He gave a wicked smile and summoned a dark corridor. "Don't have time for this. I've got things to do. Tell your girlfriend thanks for the replica."

He walked through the portal, and was gone.

Riku leapt to where the corridor had been, but he was too late. "Namine!" He yelled, no longer caring about who he would wake up. She was gone and it was all his fault. Riku pounded his fists into the ground, gritting his teeth.

Gone. It was all his fault. Again. He couldn't keep a simple promise. He had made it to himself, afterall. But now she wasn't there, and who knew how long it would take Even to make a new one. Namine was a constant. She kept him grounded when he got like this. Thinking like that only made her disappearance hurt all the more. What good was all of this training for if you couldn't protect the ones you loved? He would have hit the floor once more, but his wrist had started to hurt again. Since it hadn't gotten a chance to heal properly, he would feel jolts of pain running through it occasionally. It usually only flared up on cold or stormy days. Perhaps, for Riku, it was one.

"What's going on down here?" Isa entered the pod room. I thought I heard shouting."

"Namine- she- Vanitas…" Riku scrambled to get his thoughts in a coherent pattern.

"Calm down and start from the beginning. I can't help if you're going to be so skittish."

"Namine is gone and Vanitas is on the run. We have to chase after him!" Riku roared.

Isa placed his hands on Riku's shoulders. The boy was shaking. He knew that rage all too well. It wouldn't do him any good to go out in this condition. As for the troubling news….they might have to put the search for Sora off for a little bit.

"I'll go alert the others. Please call Aqua and the King. We'll need all the eyes we can get." Isa requested.

Riku looked down.

"Namine will be fine. Why don't you call Kairi? Her heart would be where Namine would end up, right?" Isa suggested.

"Yeah….thank you." Riku sighed. He was still slightly shaking, his body crumbling to the floor.

Isa had left to go wake up the others. With it just being the search for Sora, Roxas and Xion had hesitantly decided to go to school for a little. But Vanitas being loose was a whole other ball game. They would need to stop him as quickly as possible if they wanted to keep everyone safe.

Kairi answered the phone, looking back towards something off screen. She was starting to breathe hard, as if just in battle. "Hey, this isn't the best timing, I think we may have found a lead with Ven's memories."

"That can wait a minute. I need to know if Namine is back in your heart." Riku responded.

"Namine? Why would she be in my heart? Isn't she with you?" Kairi looked puzzled.

"No, I messed up again." Riku ran a hand through his hair. "Vanitas somehow made his way here and all I know is that he has her replica now. I need to know she's safe."

Kairi looked at her friend and sighed. He looked terrible. Although he wasn't crying, she wondered if he had shed a couple of tears previously, or he was simply tired. They hadn't seemed to have any headway on finding out about the book of prophecies through Ven's memories. The girl standing before them seemed to know Ven, so maybe she might know something too. Kairi couldn't help but wonder if she had looked like that for the first couple of days after Sora had gone missing.

Closing her eyes, Kairi placed a hand on her heart. While Namine was in her heart before, Kairi could usually feel a small speck of darkness in her heart, but it was never threatening. It was a little like when you walked into a fancy restaurant and the lights had been dimmed. Half expecting it to be there, Kairi waited to feel the cool shade emanating between her light. But it wasn't there. Only the warmth of her light shone through, despite how hard she was looking. Had something gone wrong?

"Riku...don't freak out, but I can't feel her. I don't think she went into my heart when Vanitas took her replica."

"Don't freak out? What are you expecting me to do, order a pizza and wait for her to come back?" Riku responded sarcastically.

"No, I don't, but you also can't assume the worst. I didn't when Sora left, and neither did you." Kairi assured. "Oh! Do you know of a 'Joshua' who runs a game?"

"Yeah, I met him in Sora's dreams. What does this have to do with finding Namine?"

"It's not about finding Namine. It's about where we'll find Sora." kairi replied.

Riku's eyes widened and his breath grew quick. "What do you know?"

"It's kind of a long story, and we have a lot to catch up on. So wake up Ven and we'll be coming home soon."

**Kairi**

After defeating the enemies, our heroes regrouped around the girl. "Hey, who the heck are you?"

The girl turned and dismissed her keyblade, wiping the sweat from her brow. "You guys know someone named Ventus, right?"

"How do you know Ven?" Aqua asked.

Kairi's phone went off just then, and she turned away to answer Riku's frantic call. Aqua and Terra looked at one another and then back to the girl. She looked about his age, but since they were clueless about his life before coming to the land of departure, there wasn't any way to know just how they had met. They waited for Kairi to return, her face beset with the worry she had tried to hide from Riku. They had already lost Sora. They wouldn't lose another friend.

"We all need to go back to Twilight Town." Kairi announced. "Vanitas took Namine's replica and Riku is waking up Ventus."

"Vantias?" Terra scowled. "I thought we got rid of him."

"That was a past version of him. The Vanitas we knew ended up back with Ven. Maybe his heart traveled from the past again. We need to find him and figure out what he's up to." Aqua placed her hand on his shoulder.

Terra's face softened upon seeing her and he breathed a sigh of relief. With a blush, he took the hand from his shoulder and gave it a squeeze. They both seemed to be having a wordless conversation of encouragement.

Lea cleared his throat loudly. "Not that this isn't sweet and all, but maybe we ought to fill her in on the way over?"

Aqua and terra immediately disconnected, unable to look at each other out of embarrassment, but keeping a smile on their faces. Lea gave a playful nod, and started walking away.

"Wait, does that mean you guys can't stay?" Moana called out.

Kairi stopped. This was really the worst timing, wasn't it? If Moana really was a princess of heart, they needed someone to stay with her. In fact, someone should be guarding all of the princesses of light. She smacked her forehead. Where was Sora when you needed him?

"We need to stay. Moana isn't safe, not with Vanitas around." Kairi decided.

"Then you guys go on to Twilight town and send Isa here. We'll keep her safe." Lea suggested.

"Are you sure?" Kairi asked.

"Yeah yeah, just get me updated if you find either of them. Now go on, Ven will be up soon, and you have a boyfriend to find." Lea winked.

Kairi blushed, but nodded. With that, they were off. Thanks to the warp drive, it only took a few moments. The girl with the long hair remained quiet, although Kairi tried to get to speak to her. She seemed nervous and uncomfortable as she covered with her gloves. Aqua kept an eye on her, a gentle tug of questions on her mind. Who was this girl, exactly?

As they touched down and headed into the mansion, they found everyone in the foyer. Riku and Xion were softly talking, although Kairi noticed he was occasionally scanning the room, as if Namine were due to appear at any moment.

"Hey, how are you holding up?" Kairi gave Riku a soft hug.

"I've been better." Riku replied, returning the action.

As the strange girl walked into the foyer and looked around at the decorations, both Elrena and Lauriam gasped.

"Skuld?!?"

They rushed to her side, almost in disbelief that their eyes were really seeing what they were. Her eyes were wide as well, shocked to see those two. So they knew each other as well. Kairi could tell there was a bigger story than they knew, and it involved the three who were now reunited.

"Lauriam, Elrena. So it seems you two made it here after all." Skuld scanned the room and smiled when she met eyes with the person she was looking for. "Ven! It's so good to see you! I was worried you hadn't made it!"

"Actually, I'm not Ven. My name is Roxas." Roxas chuckled. It had taken Lea a while to get the two figured out, too.

"Then how…" skuld asked.

"It's a long story. And it looks like we have a lot of talking to do." Ventus appeared in the foyer, stretching his arms from his slumber.

"Guys!" Kairi remembered as everyone rounded up. "We can't stay and chit chat. The princesses are in trouble!"

"Alright. Hold on. Let's take this one at a time. Start with the princesses and then we'll divide and conquer." Isa suggested.

"Oh. That's right! Lea asked us to send you over to motunui to help him protect Moana." Kairi remembered.

"Alright."

Kairi explained that Ava had been staying in her heart recently to hide from Luxu, and that there were a group of people in masks after the princesses of heart. They would need to be protected at all costs.

All throughout Kairi's debriefing, skuld had a perplexed look on her face. It had started when Kairi first mentioned Ava. The princess of heart couldn't help but wonder if this new girl knew something they didn't. Maybe, just maybe, it could lead them to Sora.

"Why don't we get into small teams to protect the pure lights and then talk about what we need to do at lunch?" Aqua decided.

"Good thinking. The only problem is that we don't know who all of the pure lights are." Riku piped up.

"You might not know who the lights are, but you forget that there are four ex-real organization members here. And Isa was one of the ones in on the business." Elrena added.

"Then let's hear it!" Riku replied restlessly.

"Well, there was Elsa and Anna from Arendelle." Elrena noted.

"And Rapunzel from Corona." Lauriam spoke.

"Tiana was one, too." Kairi nodded. "And I never gave up my powers."

"So that makes five." Terra mumbled.

"Plus Moana, so that's six." Aqua reminded.

"Any idea who the last one is?" Roxas asked, looking to Isa.

"No. Xehanort kept that one a secret. Said that Terra had personally taken care of putting whoever it is somewhere safe."

"Can't Namine just go looking through Terra's memory, then?" Ventus asked.

Riku grit his teeth and balled his hands into fists. "Vanitas took her body. Its the only reason you're awake."

"Vanitas? But how did he….?"

"No idea. But when I find him, he is going to pay for what he's done."

"Then where is Namine?" Terra butted in.

Riku remained silent, and Kairi looked at him with worry heavy in her eyes.

"Don't worry. We'll find her. And Sora, and this last princess. Then you guys can go back to living happily on the islands like you did before all this happened." Terra nodded.

"No." Kairi shook her head. "We can't do that. We aren't kids anymore and too much has happened. But you're right. We are going to find Sora. And Namine. And figure out everything."

Roxas cleared his throat. "Glad that's taken care of. But The sooner we get out of here, the sooner we can find our friends and protect the princesses. So who's going where? And what are we even protecting them from?"

"Well, Isa and Lea have Moana taken care of, and whoever comes with me can help keep an eye out." Kairi decided. "You want to watch out for someone in an organization coat or someone in an animal mask."

"I'll go with you. We can keep searching worlds. Maybe we'll find Sora with the last princess." Riku spoke up.

"Then how about Roxas and I go to Arendelle where Elsa and Anna are? We can kill two birds with one stone." Xion suggested.

"Can Ven and I go protect a princess?" Skuld asked loudly.

"Sure. We're going to need to know about my past. How about we go see Tiana?" Ven smiled.

Skuld nodded as she gave a small smile.

"Okay, then Terra and I can protect Rapunzel." Aqua piped up.

"What are we supposed to do?" Elrena folded her arms.

"Why don't you go to Radiant Garden? Maybe you can find out what's going on with the restoration committee. As glad as I was to see him again, I was told Cloud disappeared for a while and then suddenly came back. Maybe it has something to do with Sora." Kairi suggested.

"Plus it feels like Rinoa came out of nowhere. She might have some answers." Riku crossed his arms. "You owe Sora that much for helping you get your memories back."

"Alright. But looking for clues about Strelitzia comes first. If we catch a lead, I'm following it." Lauriam answered simply.

"Fine." Riku replied.

The group said their goodbyes and headed into the kitchen and started to fish some leftovers for everyone out to eat before they left. It was a hodgepodge of food, but everyone somehow got enough to eat.

They sat down at the table, and looked expectantly at Skuld. She still hadn't said much, and there was so much to learn. Skuld ate slowly, wondering how exactly she was going to condense the story.

Meanwhile, Riku was calling Mickey to get an extra ship sent over. Terra and Aqua could use their armor, but the highwind wasn't made for large groups of people. When Riku checked in on their progress, Mickey had told him that they hadn't found anything in any of the worlds. Now the plan was to check with Master Yen Sid to see if the stars or his books had yielded any results about the book of prophecies.

"Well, there is a lot I could say, but it was almost a whole lifetime's worth of happenings. Do you guys know about the great keyblade war?" Skuld asked.

"Unfortunately." Kairi gripped her fork.

"Ven and I were there in the first one. But we got away. It was Master Ava who helped us escape."

"The same Ava I met?" Kairi asked.

"Yeah. I never saw her face because she was always wearing a fox mask. The other foretellers had animal masks, too. A unicorn, a snake, a bear and a jaguar."

"Foretellers? They could see the future?" Ven asked.

"Not precisely. They had these books that had future events written in them. Then when we survived the war, ven was one of the leaders chosen and given his own book of prophecies. Ephemer didn't tell me much about what happened, but you never did seem wholly comfortable in that role." Skuld relayed.

"So how are you both still alive then?" Aqua asked.

"There was this chamber with sleeping pods, here in this very mansion. I recognized the place as soon as we landed. You two were there as well, Lauriam, Elrena." Skuld pointed. "But Ven and I woke up before you. A man named Master Xehanort found you, and I was all alone. So I began exploring. There were a couple of empty pods next to us. I hoped Ephemer and another special friend had made it out and wanted to find them."

"I see." Kairi muttered.

"But you don't look more than 15. Its been over 10 years since we first met Ven." Terra reasoned.

"I found myself in the dark realm for a really long time looking for my friend. But I lost the trail, and got lost myself. Luckily, Chirithy was able to help me find my way out. I wandered for another couple of months until today."

The room was quiet, pausing to consider all she had said. It seemed there was still so much they didn't know about the world around them.

"Did you run into anyone named Sora at all? He has spiky brown hair and the warmest heart." Kairi asked quietly.

"No, I'm sorry." Skuld shook her head as Kairi looked downtrodden. "But with all of us scouring the worlds, it won't be long."

Kairi nodded and the ship mickey sent over broke through the atmosphere. Together, they were off to their individual worlds.


	13. exploration

Hey everyone! thanks for your patience! here's the next chapter!

* * *

**Lauriam**

With lunch done and their tongues tired, the group said their goodbyes. The plan was for Lauriam and Elrena to go with Riku and Kairi to Radiant garden. The first thing they were tasked to do was talk to Even so he could get working on a new replica for Namine, whenever they found her. Lauriam had to admit that he wasn't thrilled to be working alongside Even again. He had found a certain pleasure in it when he learned of Vexen's murder at Axel's hands. Still, the look Riku had given him as they were leaving the ship reminded him of that first encounter they had in the old mansion that ended up with his body being thrown into a vase. It was one he'd rather not see anymore.

"Let us know the minute you hear of anything that could lead us to Sora." Kairi noted, before the two began their embark.

It seemed Kairi was just as anxious to find Sora as Riku was to find Namine. that's not to say Riku didn't care what happened to Sora. Lauriam knew of RIku's urgency to find his best friend. It was the same sense that he felt coming from the basement of the castle just before he was defeated by the keybearer. But this was something else entirely. Both Riku and Kairi's need to find Sora was rooted in a different feeling. It made sense. Those feelings were in plain sight in Namine's drawings. It seemed they all had finally acknowledged them.

Lauriam and Elrena gave weak waves as the gummi ship went off on its way, leaving them alone. The two had given them ato description of the hollow bastion restoration committee, and directions to Merlin's house. But beyond that, they were on their own.

"This town has a sort of familiar feel to it. Do you think we've been here before?" Lauriam looked around.

"Doubt it. Our memories are back, and I don't remember seeing a castle like that before." Elrena replied.

"That's right. The castle where we were was quite a bit different. And there was that huge gorge beside it. Maybe I'm just feeling nostalgic for that place." Lauriam hummed.

"Nostalgic, huh? It was a garbage dump where we got turned into nobodies. One minute we're waking up from whatever nap we had, and the next our hearts were stolen."

"Speaking of naps, I wonder what happened to the others."

"Their pods were already empty when we woke up. They could be anywhere."

He simply shrugged and the pair continued on. They wandered through town, searching every street and turning every corner. All of the stone had a purple tint to it. The only exceptions were the cream colored houses and the green plants that were seemingly growing from out of the stonework. Eventually, they found themselves in a small, but crowded market. Among the bustling customers, one man stood out with his silver hair that covered one eye.

"Zexion! Hey, over here!" Lauriam called out.

The man turned and greeted the two who had been his old coworkers. "Marluxia? Larxene? I didn't expect to see you here. What brings you to Radiant Garden?"

"Our names are Lauriam and Elrena now." Elrena explained.

"Oh, that makes sense. My name is once again Ienzo. But you didn't answer my question. What are you doing here?"

"We're looking for some answers to a very old question." Lauriam stated. "As well as helping the guardians find Sora."

"Oh! I see. Then you might want to come look at something I found." Ienzo paid for his groceries and they made their way to the lab, a dusk nobody taking the bag for him once they arrived to go to the kitchen.

"I've been looking at the datascape that the king and Pence have been combing through and I found a link to somewhere...else. I want to know what it is before alerting the guardians to it." Ienzo began typing on the keyboard.

The screen flashed a bright blue and on it held the image of several blue lines, as if it were a map. A tiny blue dot began to blink along the line, and a voice came from seemingly nowhere. It was soft, but confident.

"I've found the pathway to that suspicious link you noticed. What would you like me to do?"

"Can you get in there on your own?"

"No, the firewall is too tough to break through. It's unlike anything I've ever seen."

Ienzo paused. Surely this was just a malfunction in the software. But Tron was capable of getting through firewalls on his own. This would need more research. With a few clicks of the keyboard, Ienzo got the information he needed about where the firewall was located and anything that Tron could tell him about it. From what it sounded like, the blockade was more of a spell than a technical anomaly.

"I'll have to do some more research on this. It could be a clue to something big. If you'll excuse me." Ienzo returned to his keyboard.

With a shrug, Lauriam and Elrena turned to leave. They could hear shouting from down the hall. "Ienzo, tell Demyx to quit that racket he calls music! I am TRYING to do some experiments and his playing broke one of my beakers!"

In walked old Even with a grumpy look on his face and his hair slightly graying. Annoyance changed to surprise as he noticed the two newcomers. He had done his best to avoid these two while they were in the new organization together. With everything they had done to him in the old organization, he wasn't about to risk another encounter. Still, they were human now. Maybe that meant they would be nicer?

"To what do we owe this surprise?" Vexen cracked a smile.

"We need a favor. Or rather, Riku asked for us to send you a request." Lauriam responded. "He needs a new replica body for Namine."

"What happened to my replica body? They were absolutely perfect." Even huffed.

"Vanitas took it over and now Namine's gone. They wanted a body so her heart can find somewhere to go." Elrena replied.

"I see. I was afraid of this. A few days ago, we found a large machine with several pods attached to it. It looked ancient, but still fairly well taken care of. As Ansem the Wise and I were investigating, a heart seeped in darkness flew out of the machine and into the air. We had no idea what it was at the time. I suppose it must have been Vanitas, if what you both are saying is true."

Lauriam and Elrena simply looked at one another. _Pods? Heart seeped in Darkness?_ Surely it couldn't be the same one. Something was going on with their memories. They had woken up in Daybreak town, hadn't they? But then, they hadn't seen it since, so maybe that was something wrong as well. Surely Namine's power couldn't affect them. So then what had?

"Hey, we need to go see this room you're talking about." Elrena demanded.

"It's not open to the public yet. We need to do more research." Vexen argued.

"You don't get it. That place might have some answers we need. Besides, you have a vessel to make." Elrena argued back."

The two stared at each other for a minute before Even gave a sigh and relented. He shook his head and placed his hands on his hips. The man opened his mouth to say something then closed it again. After a minute of thought, a full on smirk covered his face.

"You know, go ahead. You don't seem to be as terrible as you were back then. But if you want to go, you'll have to take Demyx with you."

"He's still going by his organization name?" Elrena looked in slight disgust.

"Said he didn't need to change it. My guess is he was just being lazy." Vexen explained.

"I was not being lazy, It just has a nice ring to it. That's all." the man in question entered the room, his blue sitar strung to his back.

"I see we're all back together now." Lauriam folded his arms.

"Hey Marluxia, Larxene! Can't say I was expecting to see you guys again." Demyx smiled.

"Please, call us Lauriam and Elrena." Lauriam stated.

"Gotcha, gotcha. You've changed back now. I would have gone back, but it just doesn't have the right sound, you know?"

"Right, well now that we're all re-introduced, it's time to get back to the matter at hand." Even cleared his throat.

It was hard to imagine that at one point they had all been nearly enemies. Lauriam and Elrena had even ordered for the death of the scientist, and probably would have gotten rid of Demyx as well, had he been in Castle Oblivion. Even simply crossed his arms and rolled his eyes.

"You wanted to see the pod room, and Demyx here knows how to get there. He can take you. Maybe then I can start working in some peace." Even reminded. "I should be able to get a good start on the replica for you."

"Are you sure that's a good idea? pretty sure he only knows the directions to the refrigerator." Elrena scoffed.

"Sure it's a good idea! I know exactly what I'm doing. It's Demyx time!"

"A map would be great." Lauriam sighed.

"I imagine it would be. Let me fetch it out for you. Take your time while you're out and about. Maybe go see Leon and his friends while you've got Demyx."

"Aww, but you know Cid doesn't like it when I get too close to his computer." Demyx whined.

"Then don't go too close to it." Even replied.

"Fine. I bet Yuffie would appreciate someone to hang out. Alright. Creepy tunnels here we come!"

Even waved them off as they headed for the entrance to the lab. A short way away was a random white door with a golden handle. There was no house or building attached to it, just a door on a wall. Demyx pointed to a spot on the map indicating where the entrance was, and Lauriam circled it. From what they could see, the sides where the door met the concrete had to be arranged so that it was more of a human sized entry.

The inside was dimly lit by lamps, and opened to a large and spacious foyer, just as the map had indicated. They were suspiciously close to both the lab and the castle where Ansem the Wise lived. Both Lauriam and Elrena supposed it made sense given the fact that he had been a scientist studying the heart before all of this began 10 years ago.But the room had a certain air about it that made them both slightly uneasy.

"Now just a couple turns to the left and we should be there." Demyx placed his hands on his hips.

"The map says its four rights and a left." Elrena remarked, holding her tongue. It wasn't in her nature to insult someone so quickly.

Or was it? She had only spent a few years longer being Elrena than she was Larxene. And it wasn't like she could remember the first few birthdays very well anyway. So who was to say whether it was in her nature to insult someone, regardless of the speed. It was her life now. She could choose what she wanted to do. She could insult Demyx all day if she really wanted to. If she were being honest, that didn't sound so terrible. But then, that wasn't how you went about making friends.

Elrena's mental discussion continued as they walked, following the map exactly. Demyx pulled out his sitar and began playing as they walked, which wasn't nearly as annoying either of them had imagined. Five turns later, they arrived at a large, cherrywood door. There was gold around the door frame and a giant keyhole in the center of the wood.

Without skipping a beat, Lauriam pulled out his keyblade and pointed it towards the handle-less door an internal clicking noise was heard, and slowly it began to slide open. Small particles of dust clung to the air as they stepped into the room. It was dark inside, and deathly silent. Having been in the room before, Demyx stepped in front of the pair and felt for the light switch that was on the wall.

"Ah, here we are. One great big mysterious machine, just like you wanted." Demyx held his arm out.

"You're kidding me." Lauriam breathed. "I thought we were sleeping in daybreak town. But we were here all along?"

"It's the same machine alright. But it doesn't fit with what I know, you know?" Elrena nodded.

They both went down the stairs to the right and crossed the circle room to get to the pods. There were five of them, just like they remembered. But there was still something wrong. Something was blocking their memories, making it more foggy. The more they tried to remember, the harder it became. It was starting to make their heads hurt.

"You gotta move on from the past. Leave it behind, kill it, whatever. Makes life a lot more simple if you do that." Demyx casually remarked.

"Then you've dealt with this too?" Lauriam asked, stepping away from the pods.

"Oh yeah. All the time. But playing my sitar helps. And recognizing that the past isn't important."

"You have more of a past than you're letting on, don't you?" Elrena asked.

"Maybe. I don't remember. But I'm not that guy anymore. I'm just your friendly neighborhood musician, now." Demyx shrugged.

Elrena and Lauriam held their heads and walked back up the stairs. In silence they made their way back through the large white doors. Demyx kept talking about something or other, but neither Lauriam nor Elrena paid attention. The headache was gone, but the questions remained. And it didn't look like there was going to be an answer any time soon.

**Roxas**

When the ship landed, Roxas and Xion could feel a cold wind biting at their exposed skin. Sparkling in the distance was a large, clear castle made of what looked to be ice or glass. They were on a mountain top overlooking a large lake with a town in the center and a forest on the other side. This place was beautiful.

"We landed in Arendelle, didn't we? I expected it to be a little more...populated." Roxas wrapped his hands around his arms.

"I think we just got the landing a little off. Eep!" Xion squeaked and followed suit, taking a step. The snow was deep here, and her foot disappeared in the powder.

Xion's teeth were chattering and her shoulders were visibly shaking. Roxas then offered her his jacket, which she gratefully accepted. Together, they huddled in the wind and hurried as best as they could to the icy castle.

Roxas had a faint idea as to who made this place. He was there in Sora's heart and had been able to feel some of the things he was feeling while here. Empathy. Excitement. Anger. Cold. He even remembered watching some of his memories.

That's right. Elsa had built this castle. And she lived down in Arendelle, though Sora never got to see it. He was too busy climbing up the mountain again and again. How long has it been here? He knew time moved differently between worlds. It had only been a few months since he left. Maybe it had only been a week since Sora had been here.

Going down to the village was the best idea. It would be warmer there. Poor Xion was still wearing her mini skirt and sleeveless shirt. His jacket wasn't going to offer her much help, either. But the castle was the closest thing, and it was somewhere they could be for just a little bit to shield themselves from the snow. Then they would leave.

As they entered the castle, they could hear a stomping in the background. Before they knew it, they were met by a large snowman wearing a teeny tiny crown on his head.

"Don't worry, he's nice." Roxas whispered.

Icy blue lights in the snowman's eyes lit as it glared at them. Spikes instantly popped out from his back and arms, and he took a defensive pose. It roared loudly, and began to charge at them.

"WHERE ELSAAAAA?" it roared.

"Hey, calm down! We're friends of hers! We're nice!" Roxas and Xion summoned their keyblades.

The snowman looked at them and a face of confusion covered his features. It was like he was trying to remember something. Or maybe, someone.

"So...ra?" The snowman asked.

"Yes. We're friends of Sora, too. Have you seen either of them?"

The spikes were engulfed back into the snowman's body as he looked sadly at the two. "Elsa gone. Sora gone."

Roxas and Xion gave each other somber looks. It had been hard ever since Sora disappeared. While they had been excited to go to school at first and had spent all of their free time looking for Sora, both Roxas and Xion couldn't help but wonder if that had been a mistake. Sora wouldn't begrudge them for attempting to live regular lives, and would feel guilty they had to give it up. But the more they thought about it, the more they knew they couldn't go back.

"We know. We're looking for him. Is he down in Arendelle?" Xion asked politely. The snowman continued to look sadly at them. "Can you take us to Elsa? She's just down at the palace, right?"

"Something must be up. We need to go figure it out. Maybe we'll find a clue to find Sora while we're there." Roxas suggested. Xion nodded.

"Come too. Find Elsa." The snowman stood all the way up.

Before Roxas and Xion could say anything else, he scooped them up in his arms and began to charge toward the door. Something in this snowman must have changed, because there was a sense of urgency now. He must have understood that they wanted to help him get his friends back. They would see Elsa soon enough and then she could help them figure out if Sora was on the world.

The wind was cold as they raced down the mountain, Xion struggling to keep her skirt from flying in every other direction than how it was supposed to be. Roxas could feel his face heating up even though the rest of his body was stinging from the cold. He tried not to look over in her direction, but felt a knee-jerk reaction to do so every time she cried out in laughter or embarrassment.

Before they knew it, the giant snow man had led them down to a bridge leading to the town in the middle of the lake. Fishermen were near the shore, but seemed unsurprised by the appearance of the three. He looked sadly down at Roxas and Xion before pointing to the village.

"Go. Find Elsa."

He turned and slowly began stomping back up to the mountain. Roxas didn't know if it were the way he moved or if it were the much warmer weather down here, but he looked a little smaller now. They'd have to remember to let Elsa know how much he missed her and advise her to make a visit.

"Thanks for letting me borrow your jacket, Roxas." Xion blushed, handing him his clothing back.

"No problem." He sheepishly took it back and put it back on. He took a deep breath. It smelled like her.

Roxas and Xion turned to the town and went towards the gate. The town was silent, no one out on the street at all. As the two walked down the street, windows above them closed and blinds were drawn. Still, the two walked.

"What is going on?" Xion asked as she stepped in time just a little closer to Roxas. "I haven't seen a place this uninviting since the world that never was."

"Yeah. I hope Anna and Elsa can explain this mess to us."

As they approached the castle, guards stood in attention. Before they could get a chance to even get close, swords of all kinds were being held against them.

"Halt! No one is allowed past this point by order of Princess Anna!"

"But she's in danger! We're here to protect her." Roxas held up his hands to surrender.

"It's important we go see her right away! She and Elsa have no idea what they're up against!"

The guards hesitated, looking at each other nervously. "What do you know of Queen Elsa?"

"She's here, isn't she? We really need to talk to her." Roxas slowly put his hands back down.

The head guard made a motion and two of the bigger men put Roxas and Xion's hands behind their backs, urging them forward toward the palace.

"You guys look like how Princess Anna and Queen Elsa described the boy who helped them when the darkness came. Do you know a Sora?"

Xion's face brightened. "That's who we're looking for!"

The guards said nothing, instead simply ushering them into the castle. They passed through a giant hall and a few hallways before going into the throne room. Pacing on the floor was a woman with brown hair in a half ponytail and a green and cream dress with little flowers embroidered on the edges. Standing close to her was a blond man wearing dark clothes and watched the princess with a close eye.

As soon as she saw them, she looked up and gave a large smile. When she realized the newcomers were not who she was expecting, her face grew more somber. There was still a small smile on her face, but it was practiced and forced.

"Who do we have here?" The woman asked.

"Two people who came looking for Sora. What would you like us to do with them?"

"Keep them here and leave us. We need to speak." Anna looked white and frail.

"But my lady! What if they try to-" the guard was interrupted.

"Show me your weapons."

With a shrug, Roxas and Xion summoned their keyblades and held them up for appraisal.

"These are different than the one who attacked us, and look similar to the one held by a friend. I trust them."

Reluctantly, the guards left, letting her know they'd be by the door.

"You're Anna, right? I'm Roxas and this is Xion. We're friends of Sora. Have you seen him at all?"

"No, I'm afraid not. You...haven't seen my sister, Elsa around on any of your adventures, have you?"

Anna held her arms close to her body, hugging herself. Now that they could look closer, they could we acan small rim of red around her eyes and heavy bags under them. She was shaking ever so slightly and Xion couldn't help but wonder if she were doing everything in her power to hold herself together in front of them.

"Elsa, no. Why, is she missing?" Roxas asked.

"Yes. A figure cloaked in darkness came and threatened my life if she didn't promise to go along. She's been missing for a while now and I'm really worried about her."

"A figure in darkness…" Roxas started.

"Vanitas, maybe?" Xion finished.

"Then you know who it is?" Anna pushed past the man who stood next to her and hurried toward the two.

"Not for certain, but we have a guess. Why would hewant your sister?" Xion responded.

"I don't know. They just said something about light, and then they were gone."

"Are we allowed to tell her?" Roxas whispered to Xion.

"I don't know. But it looks like she could use all the answers she can get." Xion whispered back.

Anna looked from one keyblade wielder to the other. She could tell they were talking about something important. Her lips were pursed and her hands clutched a handkerchief tightly.

"I'm sorry." Xion shook her head. "But she has to be around here somewhere. We can help look for her."

"We've looked everywhere. Wherever she is, she isn't in Arendelle. We need to find her." Anna replied. "You two know something. If you have any mercy in you at all, you'll tell me what you know."

Xion took a breath. "She is a princess of heart. It means that she doesn't have any darkness in her heart."

"I knew there was a reason someone wanted her." Anna muttered.

"But you're a pure light, too. That's why we're here. We need to protect you." Roxas added.

"Then take me with you. I need to go find my sister. I did it once, I can do it again."

"But we don't even know where she is this time, Anna." The man tried to say.

"I don't care, Kristoff. Elsa is my sister. She's all the family I have left. I have to find her."

The room suddenly grew cold and a dark portal appeared behind Anna and Kristoff. Roxas and Xion hurried to get in front of them, keyblades in hand. From out of the portal stepped two men in robes. One was large and wore a bear mask. His very being was intimidating. The other was much smaller and wore a jaguar mask. It was the foretellers they had been told about.

"Step away from the pure light. We need her with us." The bear man announced.

"And what makes you think we're going to listen to you?" Roxas grit his teeth.

The smaller one gasped while looking at Roxas, but said nothing.

"If you don't come quietly, we will use force, right Gula?" Aced looked over to the smaller one.

"Aced, wait."

"What is it now?"

"It's...Ventus. He was in my union. But I don't know how he's wielding two keyblades."

"For the last time, my name is Roxas. I'm not Ventus, I'm me!"

Roxas charged at the pair, to which Aced responded, summoning his own keyblade. They clashed against each other, striking with phenomenal force. With each attack that Aced would attempt, Roxas blocked with either both or one of his keyblades. He would respond by slashing across Aced, but what hits didn't land were blocked by the man's large keyblade. It was reminiscent of Terra's, in a way. And Aced certainly fought like the eldest wayfinder. He was all force and no finesse.

Roxas leapt back and took a couple of breaths. He still hadn't been able to beat Terra. This was proving to be difficult. But he couldn't let them take Anna away. He was going to have to bring his best to the table.

As they struggled, Kristoff led Anna away, and Xion stepped between them and Gula.

"Your fight is with me, not them. We're going to keep her safe from whatever you're planning!"

She leapt at him, swinging her keyblade at him. It was odd. While his friend was on the offensive, it seemed like this guy was completely opposite. He was fighting defensively, as if he would rather be doing anything else now. And he had confused Roxas for Ventus. So he had to know the blond. What was their connection? If only Vanitas hadn't come around, then maybe they could have had some answers.

Wait.

"Do you know a guy named Vanitas?" Xion asked, mid blade clash.

"No, I haven't." Gula responded. "You're quite good at this."

"Thanks. To both things."

There was a scream that came from the antechamber where Anna and Kristoff had retreated all four stopped and ran. Stepping back into darkness was a man in an organization cloak.

"Luxu! We had it under control. What are you doing here?" Aced growled.

"Insurance." He simply stated and then walked into the portal, Anna wiggling in his grasp and Kristoff on the floor, unconscious.

"Wait a minute. I know that voice….was that...Xigbar?" Xion realized.

With clenched fists, Aced and Gula turned and left the room. Roxas followed them out, but by time he got there. They were already gone.

"You have to go find her." Kristoff gasped. "Bring them back safely...please…"


	14. Sweet Dreams, Sweet Memories

**Kairi**

A/N: Okay, I know I said I wasn't going to delve into the world ends with you or verum rex but...I couldn't help it. Haven't played that game, so sorry if it doesn't feel as organic.

* * *

"Alright, let's see if we can find Sora." Riku stood up to allow Kairi the driver's spot. "Your heart felt his move. Why don't you drive?"

"I don't know, Riku. I'm having a hard time feeling his heart. Ever since I felt it go away in New Orleans, it's been hard to feel it ever since." Kairi sighed. "Wait, do you know a guy named Joshua? He runs a kind of game."

"Joshua? The only person I know with that name was a guy in Traverse Town in Sora's dreams. I wouldn't be able to say if they're even still there anymore."

"Do you think we ought to check anyway?"

Riku was hesitant. While it seemed that Joshua knew more and was more powerful than he let on, he didn't know if he would be able to help them. There were _some_ limits to his power. There had to be.

Except they had checked Traverse Town already. Neither Sora nor Joshua and his gang had been there. Maybe they only resided in dream form. But then, could it even be possible to find them?

"Help? Riku? Did you hear me? I said we'll figure it out." Kairi took the steering controls and began flying.

"You know, you really are just like Sora."

"What do you mean?"

Riku rolled his eyes. "I mean that you rush in. Do you even know which way Traverse Town is? This particular ship has never been there. It was always the highwind that went. And that's the ship Roxas and Xion took."

"I've been there before!" Kairi pouted.

To which Riku gave a hearty laugh. He gave Mickey a call, who was able to give him the coordinates they needed. Kairi insisted she drive, so Riku sat back and closed his eyes. He wondered where his goofball friend had gotten off to this time. Riku knew that Kairi was hurting inside, but didn't want to show it. She had always been good at that.

"Hey Kai," Riku asked without moving. "What are you going to do when Sora gets home?"

"Chain him up to the paopu tree, of course. What kind of question is that?" Kairi responded, not looking back.

"I mean after that. Are you going to tell him how you feel?"

Kairi paused. "Of course. He told me he loved me. It's only right I return the favor."

"Should have known." Riku smirked, sitting slightly up so he could see Kairi's reaction.

"Wait, what? You knew?"

"I didn't know that he already confessed, but I knew how you both felt." Riku replied simply.

Now it was Kairi's turn to lose herself in a train of thought. It was true she had flirted with both of them in her youth, but she couldn't say she had ever been in love with Riku. It had always been Sora. She felt more akin to a younger sister to the older boy, so in a way, it wasn't as odd to think that he had known how they felt.

There wasn't anything more that Kairi wanted then to let Sora in on what should have been obvious, but still needed to be said. She had been distracted by needing to protect the princesses, but deep down, bringing back Sora was still her primary goal.

If she were completely honest with herself, it was a bigger job than she was able to do. She was grateful for the help given by her friends, but something inside her was fighting to tell her that she wasn't enough, or that she couldn't do it. Of course, Kairi did her best not to let those emotions show. But she was safe to do so here if she needed. She knew Riku better than anyone except Sora. And Maybe Namine.

"What if they aren't in Traverse town?" Kairi tapped her finger on the steering wheel.

"Then where do you suggest we check? There are millions of worlds, and he could be on any one of them."

"Well, Namine said that the place we should look for had a clock tower and mountains. So...maybe a world like that?"

"I'm not sure. It would be hard to figure out if the world had those characteristics from the ship."

"Well, then you tell me where to go? Because I clearly don't know what I'm doing. I'd just get in the way."

"Who told you that?" Riku shot up.

"Sora did."

"Kairi, he couldn't have meant that."

"He did. And I _was_ useless. I didn't even know I could use a keyblade back then."

"But you do now, so do something about it."

"I tried. Look where it brought us. We're only here because I got in the way." a tear welled up on Kairi's eye. "I knew about Joshua since before Sora left, but I didn't say anything because it still hurt. After that, I promised to find him, but part of me worried he didn't _want_ to be saved. At least by a good-for-nothing like me."

Riku leaned forward and opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it again. Kairi knew he was stumped. Which meant that she was right. Her friend had always been honest, and he wasn't the type just to say something to make you feel better. It was one of the things she appreciated about him most. As he searched for words, she searched the sky for a world that might connect her heart back to Sora.

"Sora wouldn't want you to say such things and neither do I. I mean, come on, Kairi. You were the one to keep Sora together at the last minute. You were put into a position that none of us would have been able to escape. You have to give yourself some more credit."

He may have been right, but it wasn't enough. So, not wanting to press the issue, she simply nodded and then continued to drive. None of the planets they passed felt right. Maybe she was wrong about that, too. Deciding that maybe the coordinates they had were wrong, she turned back to talk to Riku only to find him asleep.

However, he didn't appear to be having good dreams. The keyblade master was shifting slightly, his face lined with worry as he twitched. Kairi placed the ship on autopilot and moved back to tend to her friend. If he was going to get any rest, it couldn't be like that.

"Riku? Are you alright?" Kairi gently shook him awake.

"Kairi? am I awake? Are we there?" Riku slowly sat up.

"Yes and no. I was just worried because it looked like you were having a nightmare."

"Maybe. I mean, it was a dream, but...it felt so real." He shook his head.

"What happened in your dream?"

"I was in a city and there was someone watching me. I know it sounds harmless enough but something about it felt sinister. I've been having this dream ever since Sora left."

It was then that Kairi had an idea that was crazy. It couldn't work. But maybe crazy was what they needed right now. After all, they were running out of places to look.

"What if we could find Joshua in your dreams?"

"What?"

"You heard me. What if we found Joshua in your dreams?"

"But what makes you think he's there?"

"I don't. But that's the thing. I don't know where else to check for Sora. Besides, you already met Joshua in Sora's dreams. What's to say he can't be in yours? I learned about Joshua from Chirithy who, if you're forgetting, is a specialist in dreams." Kairi smiled, pushing her insecurities down and hoping that she was right.

"I guess that makes sense. I can't say I'd be any good at teaching you how to do it though. When I became Sora's dream eater, it all happened without my realizing it had happened."

"I need to try. If nothing else, we give up and go back to Master Yen Sid. Please? I want to get something right."

Riku sighed. "Alright. Just be careful. I can't stop anything that comes to get you. Be strong, okay?"

A small smile crossed Kairi's lips. "I will. Thank you, Riku. Now you just relax and park the ship by a safe planet."

"Wait, it doesn't work like that. I need to be asleep!" Riku panicked. "Just take me to Radiant Garden. Ienzo can keep tabs on me while you're messing about in my head."

"Oh, I guess you're right. Sorry, Riku."

Riku smiled and shook his head. "Get buckled in. Warp drive still makes me a little sick, too."

They got buckled down and in just a few moments, Riku had enabled the warp drive to take them back to where they had been only an hour before. They could check in to make sure Lariam and Elrena had held up their end of the bargain before starting, since they'd be able to see Even soon enough.

Riku had to take a moment to let his stomach settle before stepping out of the ship. Kairi had adjusted to interplanetary travel much more quickly, as he had spent much of his time going between the worlds using dark corridors. They were, in his opinion, much more convenient, although he wasn't about to risk losing himself to darkness again to save some time.

They hurried down to the lab to find Ienzo tapping away at the keyboard.

"Hi Ienzo." Kairi greeted him.

No response. Both Kairi and Riku shrugged, looking at each other for a brief moment before Kairi tapped him on the shoulder. She swore that he jumped up at least a couple of feet in surprise, as he legitimately hadn't heard them come in.

"Oh Kairi, Riku. To what do I owe this surprise visit?" Ienzo asked, attempting to retain composure.

"We had a small favor to ask of you." Kairi placed her hands together in front of her chest and a smile on her face.

"Certainly." Ienzo nodded. "Just let me do one more thing. I'm hoping to help Tron figure out what this unusual fire wall is and...you two don't understand me, do you?"

"No, we do. It's Sora who never bothered to learn how to use the computer. He was always too busy doing something outside to come in." Riku cracked a smile.

"I see. On another note, what brings you two here?"

"We were hoping you'd be able to watch Riku while he slept." Kairi stated.

Ienzo couldn't help but have questions. Upon seeing his confusion, Riku filled in the blanks. "Kairi is going to go into my dreams, so we needed a safe place for me to sleep."

"Ah, that makes much more sense. I can most certainly do that. We have a bed over here if you'll follow me."

Riku and Kairi allowed Ienzo to take the lead and walked behind him. The laboratory was much different than Kairi had imagined. Instead of being a regular room they walked through, there was a hall that opened up beyond the guard rail to an enormous room spanning several floors with tubing of some sort.

Up ahead there was a small white chair that could recline sitting in the middle of the room. It was a little small for Riku's long legs, but it would have to do. He sat down and looked at Kairi and Ienzo.

"Okay Riku. I'm going to have to put an IV in you to make sure you get what you need water and food wise. I don't know how long Kairi is planning on being in your dreams. I'll need to do it before you go to sleep, to make sure I don't wake you. I'll then cast a sleep spell that should keep you down long enough."

"Thanks, Ienzo." Riku nodded as the scientist began to prepare his needle.

Kairi winced upon seeing the man work. She never did like hospitals or needles. She was thanking her lucky stars she wasn't in Riku's place at the moment. But then again, he never seemed to have a problem with them.

"Did Lauriam and Elrena tell Even we needed a replica for Namine?" Kairi asked, hoping to distract herself.

"They did. Even wasn't too happy to hear it, I'll tell you that much. He thought he had made them foolproof. It shouldn't be much longer until it's done. Do you have a plan on how to get Namine's heart into it once it's done?"

"We haven't thought that far ahead yet." Kairi answered softly. She couldn't even help one heart return to a vessel.

"You'll get there. Riku, any last words you'd like to say before I put you under?" Ienzo asked, inserting the IV.

"Yeah. You can do it, Kairi. Believe in yourself the way Sora and I believe in you and you won't go wrong."

She smiled softly at his words. "Thank you, Riku."

With that, Ienzo summoned his spell book, snapped his fingers, and Riku's head fell back, in a deep slumber. Kairi watched as his chest rose and fell in an even pattern. She wasn't exactly sure how to go about going into his dreams, but her keyblade seemed to know what to do.

She raised up Destiny's Embrace and a light shone from the flowered tip. A dark portal appeared, and with a small gulp, Kairi began walking. Ienzo stopped her just before she got to where she would enter.

"One thing you should know before you go into Riku's dreams; hearts and dreams are interconnected. Although Riku has defeated his darkness from the past, it will still be there and it could be used against you. Please be careful. I'm going to have Even monitor you both after he gets done with the replica so I can work on the firewall."

"Thanks. Okay, here I go." Kairi took a deep breath and stepped through the portal before it closed with a pop.

**Sora**

There it was, maleficent's castle. The bottom parts of the walls were smooth, just as they had been last time. It rose high into the sky, looming over the three adventurers. The darkness that had covered the castle before had only magnified, and Sora could feel it again. They would need to be careful. Maleficent would probably be able to feel their presence once they got in.

"So, we have a plan or anything? How are we supposed to figure out where Rinoa could be? This place is huge!" Sora pondered.

"If Maleficent really is home, chances are she's already found Rinoa. We should check in some of the dungeons." Lighting reasoned.

"No, she won't be there. Maleficent wouldn't let a hostage situation go to waste. If she has Rinoa, my munny says there's a trap involved." Zack replied.

"What makes you think she wouldn't be in the dungeon then?"

"Sora was in a dungeon and he got out. My guess is she would be keeping Rinoa close. Maleficent doesn't trust anyone more than she has to. And my guess is her cronies were in for it after we left." Zack reasoned.

"She might want to do a trade. I don't know what she's planning, but since she had me tied up earlier, Pete said something about utilizing me as a bargaining chip." Sora admitted.

"Maybe Rinoa is plan b. Maleficent is smart. She wouldn't allow an opportunity to pass her up." Lightning noted.

They sat in silence for a few minutes. Sora didn't know what the other two were thinking, but he knew that he had to find that computer that would take him back to the real world no matter what. Kairi and all of his friends were waiting for him to come home.

Sora wondered what Kairi was doing right then. Was she looking for him? Or had she simply given up and moved on? He understood that he had put her in a hard position. But he had to tell her how he felt. Even if he couldn't hear her say it back, he needed Kairi to know that she was the most important person to him. Even though he kept leaving her behind.

"Alright, we've wasted enough time here. We need to get going." Lightning drew out her weapon.

"But we never figured out a plan." Zack added. "And we can't exactly risk a full-frontal assault."

"What if we went in through the dungeons and made our way up to the top?" Sora asked slowly. "Then we could make sure we don't miss anything or anyone."

Zack caught on to what his friend was trying to say. He smirked and nodded, looking back over the castle. "There might be an entrance if you go into the dungeons anyway, so I guess our conversation earlier was kind of useless."

"It's fine. We need to be open and talking among ourselves even if something proves useless. With the three of us working together, each area should be quick enough to check." Lightning led the way up to the castle base. "If there starts to be too many enemies, fall back, alright?"

Sora and Zack nodded and followed her lead, doing their best to stay out of the open field. They found their way to the base of the castle and to a locked door that led to the basement dungeons. Sora held out his keyblade and quietly unlocked the padlock.

Lightning took the lead and summoned a fire spell that stayed in her hand like a candle. As they hurried through the damp dungeon, Sora and Zack began to whisper among themselves.

"So when we find this machine, we should come back later on our own, right?" Sora started.

"Yeah. Don't want to leave Lightning here by herself."

"Do you think Maleficent will have it heavily barricaded?"

"No clue. But Brain said he thought Rinoa found what she was looking for. Which means she probably found the machine. In which case, we don't need to think too much about where in the castle she might be."

"What are you two whispering about back there?" Lightning turned around.

"Just letting him know everything was clear on my side." Zack lied.

Lightning eyed them suspiciously, but asked no further questions. The dungeons were cleared and up they went. There was an uneasy silence among the three, at least until they were spotted by a small group of heartless. Zack and Lightning were quick with their swords, and the soldier heartless were taken down.

Towards the middle, there was a large and empty hall where on the other end a throne sat. It was a little odd to see such a room so barren like this, but the conditions made everything easier to search. Sora walked forward taking it all in until he unexpectedly hit a wall.

"What is this?" Sora asked, rubbing his sore nose.

"Must be a barrier Maleficent set up. An invisible maze." Zack stepped beside his friend.

"All we have to do is walk in the pathway." Lightning pulled out her sword and held it in front of her. "If we go like this, it'll be easier to find the wall."

"Good thinking!" Sora smiled as he summoned his kingdom key.

Together they inched along the path until they found a small blueish light on the ground. Upon further inspection, they could see a matching blue light on the ground in another section of the floor, as well as a green and red one.

"It must be a puzzle of some sort." Lightning mused. "I wonder…."

She stepped onto the beam and was immediately taken from the view of Sora and Zack. They looked up, hoping to figure out where she had gone. Lightning waved and called to them from where she was standing on the other side of the room, right next to the other blue light.

"Ohh! I get it!" Sora smiled, taking a step onto the light.

Zack soon followed and they managed to make it to the end of the hall where the throne sat. It was a black stone with encrusted diamonds. The seat was low to the ground and very uncomfortable. Sora tried sitting in it, and with a smirk remarked, "how do I look?"

Zack smiled back and gave him a thumbs up while Lightning simply rolled her eyes. Something moved underneath him as he sat however, and a low rumbling noise shook the throne. Heartless large and small began pouring into the room. The doors soon sealed with magical barriers and the heartless were moving quickly towards them.

"It's a trap!" Sora yelled as he hurried off the seat.

"Ya think?" Zack pulled out his sword. "We're going to have to fight our way out!"

"We don't have to do it alone. I'll call for some backup." Lightning held up the Beast's summoning charm.

A golden light emitted from it, and what appeared could pass for the beast, but he didn't seem like the same one Sora had known. This one was a little smaller, and his clothes were more decorative. He couldn't quite place his finger on it, but there was something off about this beast. Everything looked more...computer-y. Even his voice was different.

What hit Sora the most was that the Beast did not recognize him. Sora had tried to wave, but he was instead ignored.

Rushing into battle, this unusual Beast used his voice more than anything, creating a howl that tore through the smaller heartless and staggered the larger ones. Then, just as he had appeared, he had gone. Zack placed a hand on Sora's shoulder to draw him out of his stupor and back into the battle at hand.

Sora swung at the nearest thing to him, a heartless he had no name for. It was a little odd. This was the first time he had really noticed not having Jiminy Cricket around. Usually the little bug would have logged the experience and given him a name to classify the heartless as. But since he had returned back to Disney Castle, it seemed Sora really was the only one here who had remembered all of his past adventures. As friendly as they had become, Zack and Lightning didn't know much of Sora's past, and thus couldn't think back on all those things Jiminy had faithfully penned.

Once again, his attention was directed elsewhere when a second heartless slammed into him from behind. He shook it off and threw the keyblade at the enemy, resulting in the keyblade simply falling to the ground harmlessly.

_That's right._ Sora thought. _My advanced skills are gone. I keep forgetting which ones the keyblade remembers and which it doesn't. Gotta keep that in mind for future battles._

As Sora had spent much of the battle on autopilot, Lightning and Zack had to finish off the remaining heartless ahead of him. He realized he'd been doing that so much recently. Even when they weren't in battle, he just sort of focused on his thoughts and let his body run automatically. Most of those thoughts were of home. And of her.

No, he couldn't let himself get distracted now. Not when they were so close to finding that blasted machine to get him out of this data world. Sora still couldn't understand everything about what exactly a data world existed, but he didn't care. He wasn't planning on settling down here.

"Alright, it doesn't seem that the machine is down here. Why don't we rest for a little bit before we move on? Don't want to over do it." Lightning suggested.

"That sounds good." Zack sighed as he rolled his shoulder.

"You okay, Sora? You seemed distracted back there." Lightning asked.

"Yeah. I guess I just forgot a few things, that's all…" Sora paused. "Well, that and I guess I'm a little homesick."

"I wondered. An island would be nice to check out. What's it like?"

"Warm. Always there when I need it, and someone I can go to when I'm scared, unsure or in danger. She's my favorite." Sora voiced his thoughts before he realized they were not talking about the same things.

"She?" Zack smirked.

"Yeah, Kai-" Sora stopped. "You weren't asking about Kairi, were you?"

"No, but I wouldn't mind meeting her if she's as great as you say. Maybe she'd like to go on a date with a hero."

"No!" Sora answered, more loudly than he had expected.

Both Zack and Lightning chuckled as Sora found himself pouting. He grumbled something about being denied his own hero's licence, despite having his own constellation in Olympus. He was good enough for a princess of heart even though he was just some lazy bum from an island, right?

"I mean, we'd have to go find her first anyway."

"I get it." Zack nudged his shoulder. "She's a lucky girl to have someone like you in her life."

"That's just the thing though. I feel like I've barely been in her life for the last two years. I wonder if she's going to understand how much I want to be with her or if she thinks I'm just going to leave her again."

"You have that hope in your heart, right?" Lightning asked.

"Of course!"

"Then she'll pick up on it." Lightning stood up and held her hand out for Sora to take. "Come on, we had better get going."

Up and up they went, clearing more and more of the floors. Finally, they found their way up to one of the high towers. There was unease among them, as Maleficent should have definitely picked up on their presence by now. Even Pete probably could have found them at this point. Maybe this really was a trap?

Zack opened the door ahead of him to find a small room.bit was warm and there was a buzzing noise. Finally, there it was! Figured that it would be in a tall tower. Neither Zack nor Sora could wipe the smiles off their faces.

"What on earth is this machine?" Lightning leaned over the keyboard. "And why is Rinoa on the screen?"

Just as Lightning had said, on the screen was a paused image of Rinoa in her white dress. She had a smirk on her face.

"Rin was the one to bring me here. Of course she knew how to use the machine. I wish she would have showed me." Zack mumbled.

"Huh?" Lightning turned.

"I'm just wondering where she went and why the screen has her picture on it."

"Perhaps because she was able to escape. You three will not be so lucky." A female voice came from the doorway.

"Maleficent! Show yourself!" Sora summoned his keyblade.

"You wouldn't dare attack me while so close to your only ticket home, would you?" She chuckled. "If I were you. I would be more worried about your precious little daybreak town. Our friend Pete sure has been busy."

"She wouldn't!" Lightning gripped her sword.

"She would. This is Maleficent we're talking about." Zack grit his teeth.

"Hurry and perhaps you might be able to save some of those fools."

Zack looked at the window. It was large with a balcony on the outside.

"Come on. We need to get going or else a lot of people are going to get hurt."

Sora and lightning nodded, and pushing past the window, leapt off the balcony and began their journey back home empty handed.


	15. A Broken City, A Broken Trust

okay, so this one is a little shorter and I swap perspectives more in this chapter. but that's because we're getting closer to the end. This one goes pretty crazy, so hold on!

* * *

**Gula**

If there was one thing Gula hated more than secrets, it was a smug person. Luxu fit that bill perfectly. Luxu locked up the padlock that kept princess Anna in a tiny room in his head quarters in the Keyblade Graveyard, accompanied by more screaming and threats then he had expected to come out of the mouth of a pure light. The sound of it made him grin. It was a look that Gula still hadn't gotten used to, despite how often he had seen it.

"You told us everything that happened, and yet I had to see it to believe it to really get how much Roxas and Ventus look alike." Gula admitted.

"See, I told you. It's all been foretold, just like the master said." Luxu shrugged.

"So what now? Are we supposed to follow you blindly like we followed the master?" Aced asked through grit teeth.

"Of course. It's what he would have wanted."

"You're talking about him as if he were dead. But you know he said he would come back. We just have to get kingdom hearts to appear in the datascape. Why go through all the trouble of capturing the princesses?"

"Simple. It's insurance." Luxu stopped in his tracks. "Something I thought you two would be able to handle without me."

"We were just about to capture her when you interfered." Aced growled.

Of that, Gula wasn't so certain. They had the ability, sure. But seeing Ventus- no, Roxas doing what he could to protect Anna made him question everything. Not to mention that Elsa's disappearance had yet to be resolved. Who else knew about the pure lights? The organization had broken up and from what he had seen on his trips around the worlds, most of them had picked up their old lives quickly.

"You keep telling yourselves that. With any luck, Invi and Ira should be back with Moana at any time now. Then there's just two more to find." Luxu moved into a little living room with a large couch and some recliners.

"What about the other three?" Aced took a recliner.

"They're together alright. And I know just where to find them."

"Then why don't we go now? We need the upper hand!" Aced gripped the arm rests.

"Because, the time isn't right. Gather too much light in one place and the darkness can't help but follow." Luxu waved him off. "Ava would know all about that."

Gula gasped. Ava. He had been worried sick about her, but didn't have any luck in finding her as he went about his duties. He was worried. She hadn't appeared in any world that he was in, and all Luxu would say on the matter was that she had another role to fill.

Honestly, he was a little sick of all this talk about roles. It hadn't worked out at all the first time. What made them think taking on separate assignments this time would make anything different? The Master of Masters was still out there somewhere. Sometimes Gula wished he would just come and fix everything so life could resume, going back to whatever normal was anymore.

Sometimes he found himself wishing he could have done something- anything- to defy fate.

A dark portal opened up and out came two masked figures and an unconscious girl. It was Ira and Invi. The girl in their hold must have been Moana. Luxu sent Aced to take her over to Anna's cell before leaning back in his seat.

"Excellent work, you two. Did you have any trouble?" Luxu asked.

"There was a mage and keyblade wielder that tried to stop us, but we made quick work of them. They should be out of the picture for quite a while." Ira reported.

"Was it really important we hurt them that badly?" Invi asked hesitantly.

"Oh, of the utmost importance. The more pieces we can knock out now, the easier it'll be for us in the long run. It won't be much longer now." Luxu smirked. "Besides, those two especially have caused enough trouble for me in the past. The worse off they are, the better."

Gula couldn't handle hearing anymore of the way this guy spoke. He passed Aced in the hallway, and noticed something behind the anger he normally wore. A plan was moving in Gula's mind. Maybe, just maybe he could defy his fate this time around. And Aced was the key.

As he passed the room where Anna and Moana were being held, he couldn't help but overhear Anna checking the girl for any bumps and bruises, telling her that it would be alright when she woke up. He wondered if he were on the right side after all.

**Vanitas**

So it seemed that the replica body had held up alright after all. Good. If he were honest, Vanitas had worried it wouldn't make the trip into the datascape. He had waited a long time for this moment. Years of planning and waiting were finally coming to fruition.

He had, by some miracle, completed everything he set out to do, as well as have a little fun on old man Xehanort's watch. He would have loved to have the x-blade in his hands, but that could wait. His current blade would have to do.

Vanitas had to deal with a lot of things that simply had to do. Even his name was something that was new. For seemingly forever he was simply darkness. But sleeping inside of Ventus had given him a form, the one he took on now. While Xehanort had been the one to bestow upon him this name, he was the one who made it his own.

He had noticed the small boy ever since Ventus had found himself at the wrong place and the wrong time, becoming a prime suspect in the murder of Strelitzia. Oh how that had been a fun afternoon. After leaving a small portion of himself in one of the foretellers, he had moved about the timestream, looking to make all of the other pieces fall into place.

Defeating the scientists was no problem at all. It was by sheer luck that none of the keyblade wielders were in the lab when he arrived. It was by even better luck that Ienzo was so close to cracking the firewall on that little project of his. Once Vanitas got through it, he'd be home free.

He pushed a couple of buttons on the keyboard and a low whirring sound came from one of the nearby machines. Standing where the beam would come out to digitize this replica, he smirked. He was going to succeed this time.

**Lauriam**

Demyx led Lauriam and Elrena to a tiny house near the fountains they had passed earlier. Sitting inside were two couples, a brunette man with spiky hair typing on the computer next to a girl with a short white dress and a blonde man with even spiker hair who leaned against a wall. On the bed next to the man was a woman with long black hair and a red ribbon tied around her arm.

"Aww, no Yuffie today. It's just the grumps and their girlfriends." Demyx sighed.

"I'll take that as a compliment." Leon smirked.

"What brings you here today, Demyx? And who are these two?" Tifa looked with interest.

Demyx held out his arm to present and introduce his two companions. When he said Cloud's name, Lauriam perked up. That's right. They were supposed to speak with Cloud to figure out where he had gone. Trouble was, he didn't seem like a talkative guy. Maybe they could ask one of the other two.

"Nice to meet you guys!" The girl in the white dress cheered. "Any luck finding Sora?"

"No, I'm afraid. But I'm sure with everyone working, it won't take long." Lauriam noted.

The man called Leon returned to his computer and Cloud closed his eyes. Lauriam and Elrena glanced at each other and then back at Cloud. Although she had been mild mannered before turning into a nobody, Elrena had learned a thing or two. Like how it was okay sometimes to be blunt. This was perhaps one of them.

"Hey, Cloud. Riku and Kairi wanted us to find out where you went."

No response. Tifa watched as the room remained silent. She knew that Cloud wasn't going to say anything, but she wanted to know, too. He hadn't told anyone about his journey, even though he had finally asked her out.

"Please Cloud? It's a story I'd like to hear, too. I was...worried about you, you know?" Tifa looked him in the eyes.

"Fine."

They all looked as he got up from the wall and uncrossed his arms. He began to speak.

"I was fighting against Sephiroth when he teleported us back to the underworld. Guess he was trying to get under my skin. It worked. He…..beat me and left, while I was all alone in the dark. Then one of the rocks nearby started showing me images of a guy in a red robe and black hair. His voice echoed in the hall.

Came to find out that the underworld has rocks that reflect memories sitting around by the river Lethe. This guy, whoever he was, met Zack there in the underworld.and helped him get out. I guess it was for some kind of atonement. Turns out the guy destroyed his home world to save his friends, but the price was that they'd lose their memories of their life before. I kind of zoned out while he was explaining it. All that mattered to me was finding out that Zack had been there."

Lauriam and Elrena took in the story. Neither of them had really spent any time in Olympus, and Demyx's reports were known to be laughable at best. So no answer other than looking for his friend. Real shocker there.

"Wait. Zack? Olympus colosseum? What are the odds?" Rinoa laughed.

"What's so funny?" Cloud muttered.

"I think I know where he is!" Rinoa smiled.

Cloud had a look on his face as if someone had punched him. Even though Lauriam and Elrena didn't know the man, they guessed this was the widest range Of emotion he had probably shown in front of them.

"You have to take me to him." Cloud replied.

"Okay, but we have to go see Ansem first to get access into his castle. There's a security threat even he probably wasn't expecting."

Rinoa led everyone up to the castle, where Dilan and Aeleus stood watch. She gave them a smile and wave, but they stood undeterred. It seemed even she couldn't saunter up to the castle any time she wanted.

"Oi, what's all this then? I don't think Lord Ansem was expecting a parade today." Dilan crossed his arms.

"We need to get into the castle to see Ansem. He needs to know about a tiny little detail he might not be aware of." Rinoa smiled.

"Oh, and what's that?"

"Nothing big. Except that Maleficent has easy access to the interior of the castle."

This, of course, caused the two to tense up, summoning their weapons. Each still had a stern look on their faces, but underneath it all, there was a hope that Rinoa was just playing another one of her tricks.

Her father was on the board of council members specifically hired to keep up with the security and defenses. She had spent a fair amount of her childhood summers playing around the castle and finding all sorts of interesting nooks and crannies.

"And how do you know about this supposed breech?" Aeleus asked.

"Simple. I came back here through the same way."

Reluctantly, the two guards followed her down to the hall where Ansem was speaking with an older man with salt and pepper hair and a crisp uniform. Instead of leading the group, Rinoa ducked back behind Leon. She hadn't quite been able to bring herself to say hello to her father since returning after their fight 10 years ago.

Ansem looked over and saw the group approaching them. Since both Dilan and Aeleus were with them, he figured something important must be afoot.

"What is all of this about?" Ansem asked, looking over the group. He noticed the little hand on Leon's shoulder and head of black hair. "Little Rinoa, is that you?"

She squeaked and stepped out a little, her hands behind her back and head down. "Yes. I've returned home Ansem….dad."

General Caraway took steps toward Rinoa and looked her over. Without another word, he wrapped her in an embrace, murmuring about how he had missed his little girl and apologizing. She looked up in shock, but slowly returned the hug, letting him know she was sorry.

"Where were you all this time?"

"That's actually why we're here. I need to show you something, Ansem."

They climbed up staircase after staircase until they started to slow. How many floors did this place go up, anyway? Eventually, Rinoa used a wind spell to carry them the rest of the way, as she had to lead them to a section of the castle that was almost never used.

Down the hall and through the most ordinary door stood a machine that looked very similar to the one that took you to the datascape downstairs.

"I was in here. Well, me and Zack were. When the heartless came to the world, we were trapped in the castle by a couple of very large enemies. After a while, we found this room and thought we could be safe. Turns out a lot of them seemed to be coming from around there. So I started to use the keyboard and we got separated." Rinoa admitted.

"But I thought you said you knew where he was." Cloud looked at the screen.

"I didn't finish." Rinoa huffed slightly. "Anyway, so I found a few different worlds trying to use my connection to Leon to find my way back. Turns out my heart led me to Zack instead, who was staying in a quaint place called Daybreak Town. I never got the courage to try using the computer until the day I got back. Maleficent had been quiet for a while. I guess that means she was busy making a mess here."

"You can say that again." Leon shook his head.

"Daybreak town? Then we're going too." Lauriam decided. "That was where we lived for a while, though i don't know if it was the digital version or not. Something is keeping me from my last memories before turning into a nobody. I think our answers may be there."

Rinoa nodded. "Okay. Then let's get the three of you into the datascape, Cloud, Lauriam and Elrena."

"You aren't coming?" Elrena asked.

"No, someone out here needs to know what to do if we need to bring you back somehow. I'll program it so it sends you to the edge of town, otherwise you'd end up at Maleficent's castle. That's where you have to go when you want to come home. Go, and good luck!" Rinoa pressed a key and smiled.

"Wait, we're going now? Lauriam tried to ask, but the machine cut him off, spreading a light beam over his body.

The next thing they knew, they were standing in a large field close to a small town with houses stacked closely together. The sights, the smells. It was the same. What differed was the sounds. Shrieks and cries came from all directions within the town. They could see the tips of a couple of darkside heartless just over the rooftops.

"What's going on?" Lauriam called forth his keyblade.

"Enemies, obviously." Cloud pulled the buster sword off his back and began to swipe at the heartless that had noticed their arrival.

"No sense in messing about with the shrimps. Let's head into the center of town." Elrena suggested.

Lauriam nodded in agreement and led the charge. He swiped at whatever heartless that appeared in front of him. Elrena sent out some lightning magic that dusted several at a time while Cloud picked off the few that Lauriam missed. He wasn't trying too hard. Protecting a town made of data wasn't the end goal. He just wanted to find his friend and bring him home.

They hurried through the streets of town until they arrived at an old, worn down fountain. There the real chaos began. A woman in all black shot off fire and ice spells at any enemies in the way of a large cat man. A girl in a yellow top as well as a green haired girl ran around healing their comrades and what looked to be a boy with a monkey tail leading heartless away so that a woman with a whip could take them out.

But the most surprising person they saw on the battlefield was an old comrade who looked like he had aged well since they last saw him. Still wearing the same hat, Brain deflected blows with his keyblade before looking over and seeing Lauriam and Elrena.

"I would say it's good to see you two again, but I'm a little busy at the moment. Care to help us clean up this little mess?"

"Is it really you, Brain?" Lauriam asked in awe.

"Hey, on your left!" Elrena called, sliding to Lauriam's other side and striking the heartless that was about to pounce on the pink haired keyblade wielder. "Pleasantries later."

Lauriam called forth his keyblade and slashed with a smooth motion that had taken a while to perfect. His magic occasionally manifested itself as flower petals, which caused his heart to ache. He still wasn't over the fact that Strelitzia was gone. It was hard to really imagine.

She was so sweet and generous, even if she were a little shy. To think she had been waiting for him for so long...her heart was stuck between life and death. If they could bring Sora back from the dead, was it possible to save her, too?

These guardians of light...they had utilized replicas to save their loved ones. All it took was an empty replica. Yes. Lauriam didn't care how long it would take. He would beg and plead with Even to make him a replica just for her. With the way Sora worked, she could even wake up among new friends, as he knew how hard it had been for her to make them in the first place. After he thought of his sister, Lauriam fought more fiercely than before. He was a man on a mission.

Between the several fighters in the square, the smaller heartless were quickly defeated. The only two enemies that stood before them were the Darksides. Together, they focused their attacks on them both. The city had to be protected. Although it was too late to keep the buildings from being destroyed, they could prevent any further heartbreak.

With the first Darkside down, their attention turned to the other. It fell backward, crushing the fountain as it landed. With one last hit from Brain's keyblade, it exploded into dark vapors, a lonely heart floating up into the sky.

Lauriam wiped the sweat from his brow, breathing heavily. He hadn't expected to be thrown into battle as quickly as they did. Elrena nodded to let him know she was alright, and Cloud was somewhere in the chaos, but they would find him later.

"Quistis, go check with Noctis to make sure the north side of town. Kimahri, check with Edgar on the west side and Serah, please go with Zidane to see how Bartz handled the south sections." Brain asked those healthy enough to go. "And now that that's settled...how are you two?"

"Fine, I think. But what happened to us? You? What is this place?" Lauriam asked.

"I think its best if we continue this discussion over some food. Ignis is the _best_."

After gathering everyone together and warming some leftovers, Brain took Lauriam and Elrena up to the clock tower to have a private conversation.

"So, your minds are a little foggy then?"

"Yeah. What do you know?"

"I figured. I left the datascape for a while after you all went to sleep, just to see how things were going. I fell in love with a beautiful woman and we were going to get married, but Maleficent found out I had a copy of the book of prophecies and kidnapped me, ripping my heart from my body before taking the book. I have the book back now, so I'm sure that's one of the reasons she is so mad."

"Why are our memories foggy then?" Lauriam asked a little more forcefully.

"It was Ava. The book tells of a fallen union leader struck down by darkness. My guess is that was your sister. I'm sorry about that."

He had found out too late about his friend's sleep from the book of prophecies. It had said that Lauriam, Elrena, Lourd, Myde and Skuld all had been in the pods that allowed them to pass through time without aging or losing their hearts.

"What about Ventus?" Lauriam pondered.

"Ven is still there? The darkness in his heart was enough to carry him through time?" Brain asked in surprise.

"Wait, what?"

"Lauriam, I hate to be the bearer of bad news...but Ventus is the one who killed Strelitzia."

**Sora**

The sight ahead of the three was enough to crush anyone's spirits. Smoke billowed up from many of the houses and a few families were standing around, looking at the wreckage. A few were attempting to check for people still inside and others were using cure spells and potions to heal the injured.

"What happened here?" Zack wondered.

"Pete. Pete was what happened here." Sora replied solemnly.

"I need to make sure Serah is okay. I'll meet up with you guys later."

Lightning dashed away, leaving Zack and Sora alone. They continued to look over the wreckage and the faces of the people. Sora clenched his ffist Pete would pay for this. Maleficent, too. He knew that they absolutely could not seal the datascape off if those two troublemakers were still inside.

Part of Sora wanted to be rid of Maleficent once and for all. He had technically killed her before, although it clearly didn't work because she simply came back. He summoned his keyblade and scowled. They had to pay.

"Come on, Zack. We need to find Pete."

"Do you really think he's still around? It might be better to see if we can help anyone here."

"No. He's the cause of all of this. I'm sure he's still here, waiting for us. I doubt he's gotten far."

Zack paused. Maybe Sora was right. Putting Pete out of commission would make getting home easier. And he did deserve justice for attacking the innocent like this.

"Sora, you're going the wrong way. Pete won't be in town. There are too many fighters there. Let's go this way." Zack called over.

After walking in one direction for a while, they saw a small shadow on the horizon. It had to be Pete. Both hurried toward it. When they got closer to the shadow, they realized it wasn't Pete. It was someone much worse.

"Vanitas? What are you doing here? I thought we got rid of you in the Keyblade Graveyard!" Sora called forth his keyblade.

"I told you, I'll always be close to you. I am the darkness." Vanitas smiled as he saw the two.

"Sora, why does this guy look like a pallet swapped version of you?" Zack whispered.

"Honestly, you got me. He just keeps going on about darkness."

Vanitas scoffed. Whatever. But this was interesting. He could sense a heart of pure light between the two. It was sickening. Now this could be used to his advantage. It didn't seem that they knew about it either. He smirked. If he played his cards right, he could really profit.

While he had been in the realm of light, Vanitas had sensed three of the hearts together in one place, two in another and one moving about the stars. As darkness, he was able to be anywhere at once. Sure, his confined form made it hard to see everything, but he still had a sense of things.

Others were collecting the pure lights, right? Well, three could play at that game. And he was sure that the highest bidder would give him whatever he wanted.

"You." He pointed his keyblade at Zack. "You're coming with me."

"Yeah right. That's the last thing I want to do." Zack pulled out his Buster Sword.

Vanitas chuckled as a dark mist swirled around him. "Now that I'm not so worried about my brother, I can unleash my true power."

The darkness surrounded the two and separated them into little balls. It was just like when Doctor Facilier had sent him to that dark place the first time. Try as they might, they couldn't push through the darkness by physical means.

Within the small confines of the darkness, Sora could feel the world crushing down on him. He stayed in the ball for who knew how long.

_You'll never see Kairi again.__She's better off with you gone.__All you do is leave.__Your friends have forgotten you.__You were never good enough to be a keyblade master._

He felt like everything he had done was for nothing. The world was cold and it was better off without him in it.

Then, light.

It was warm and bright- more so than Sora had been prepared for. The dark bubble Vanitas had put him in had dissipated. Unfortunately, when he sat up, he found he was all alone. Vanitas had taken Zack. He was a pure light? Sora needed to get home now more than ever.

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alright, that was it! hope you liked it!


	16. secrets

okay, so if I'm being honest here, this chapter is a little shorter because I've been crazy busy and I'm just about ready for this story to be done. so sorry for all the coincidences and such, I need to move on.

that being said, I hope you guys still enjoy the chapter!

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Ventus

As the gummi ship flew toward New Orleans, Skuld and Ven were wrapped in conversation. She explained how at the very end, they had decided to go back to the real world only to find the machine that would take them there was actually a time machine. Brain had sacrificed his chance to go with them in order to get the pods working, and as far as she knew, Ven's future unsure.

"If all that's right and the pods had you, Lauriam, Elrena Lourd, and Demyx. But you said I came with you and met Master Xehanort. How can that be with only five pods?" Ventus asked.

"That's the curious thing. You were there when I left, surrounded by darkness. Something had changed about you."

"That *is* strange. What happened after that?" "The machine had to recharge, but it had enough energy to wake someone else up. I started to wake up Lourd, but found myself having to defend myself from the darkness. He was my best friend, Ven. I have to find him."

"Lourd?"

Skuld nodded. "At least, that's the name he was going by. While I was in the dark realm, I saw him with a red headed girl in a white dress, but I got stopped by a darkside. By time I chased after them, they were gone. He was originally from another union and actually wasn't an official dandelion. But somehow he made it anyway."

Ven nodded, preparing for landing. Her words were unnerving. He had been covered in darkness. That must have been why he couldn't remember his past. Of course that would explain the birth of Vanitas. A chill ran up his spine as he thought of the dark boy. He had said they were brothers and he'd always be close. Now he was on the run somewhere out there.

When they got onto the world, the air was hot and sticky. They found themselves near a deserted shop. Inside a man was sitting alone at a table, pushing a salt shaker around. He looked so sad.

"Hey, is everything okay?" Ven asked, walking into the shop. "We saw you from the window and thought you could use a friend."

The man looked up. He mumbled something about not being open at the moment before returning his attention to the salt shaker. Ven and skuld looked at each other and shrugged. It was hard to help someone who didn't want to be helped. Just then, Ven's phone went off. It was Aqua and Terra.

"Ven, how are you?" Aqua asked with a smile.

"We're just fine. Skuld and I just got here. Any luck on your end?"

"No, it looks like Rapunzel has already been kidnapped. Eugene is saying that a dark figure took her away."

The man looked up at this.

"Any clue as to where she went?" Skuld butted in.

"No, sorry. We're going to let Kairi know and then keep looking for clues. Good luck on your end."

"You too, Aqua, Terra." Ven waved goodbye before the man stood up.

"Perhaps you can do something to help me. You see, someone very important to me was also taken away by a shadowy figure. Her name is Tiana."

"Tiana?" Ventus smacked his forehead. "She's exactly who we were looking for!"

"Can you tell us anything about what happened?" Skuld leaned on the table.

"There was this dark figure, some girl with a mask and robes on. I think it was a fox mask, although I can't be sure. She didn't say anything, but she was made up entirely of darkness. After chasing Tiana through the kitchen and making a huge mess, the figure was gone and Tiana with it."

"Robes and a fox mask? Are you sure?" Skuld gasped.

A personage of darkness. That didn't sound too much unlike Vanitas. Ven was a little sad that he hadn't stuck around at the Keyblade Graveyard. But he *had* at least been free to make that decision on his own, and that was what mattered. Ventus had chosen light, Vanitas had chosen darkness.

There was something inviting and familiar about Vanitas. The dark haired boy didn't feel like something that had come from Ventus himself. He was older and much grander than anything Ventus could have had hiding in his heart.

"As far as I know, yeah. Do you know who this person is?"

"It sounds like Lady Ava, but Kairi said that she was hiding inside of her heart. Unless Lady Ava's heart was torn in two…"

Ventus clenched his fist. "Severed neatly into light and darkness, told how to be."

Naveen looked at the two. Although he couldn't understand what was going on, he could sense the tension in the air. Ven's phone rang again and this time it was Roxas and Xion. They reported about how Elsa was missing and how Xigbar was working with the foretellers and had kidnapped Anna. Kairi was the next person they were planning on calling. In the meantime they were going to check on Lea and Isa, who were not answering their phones.

"Complete mission failure." Ven punched the table.

"And we still have no idea where the others are." Skuld sighed.

They left Naveen with a promise that they would find Tiana as quickly as possible. Three princesses had been lost- Rapunzel, Anna and Tiana. Not to mention that Elsa was missing and they had no idea who the last one was. The only two who were accounted for were Kairi and Moana. And even then neither Kairi nor Riku or Lea and Isa were answering their phones. Ven closed his eyes.

*What now?* Ven thought.

"So, Radiant Gardens to regroup and figure out what to do?"

Skuld nodded in agreement. They landed and found themselves going toward the laboratory where Ienzo worked. Just as they were about to enter the building, something extraordinary happened.

A light fell from the sky, making an odd noise before landing in front of them. Before either knew what to make of it, the light materialized into Chirithy. Skuld smiled at the little cat's appearance. Her own Chirithy appeared in her arms in a similar light.

"Hey buddy! Where have you been?"

"In the final world, looking for Sora. But you'll never believe who I found instead."

A larger light appeared and from it came two people, a very tall man with blonde hair and several earrings and a girl with red hair and wearing a white dress. Ven and Skuld looked at each other with confusion. He was still wearing an organization cloak and looked at them both warmly.

"It has been a long time, Ventus, Skuld. I am ever so glad to see you again."

"Who are you?" Ven called forth his keyblade. "And why are you wearing an organization cloak?"

"Woah, hold on! They're nice!" Chirithy calmed Ven down. The keyblade disappeared.

"I figured you might not recognize me, Skuld. I have had to go through a few semblances since last we met. But you knew me as Lourd." The man said.

Skuld looked in awe at the man standing before her. It was true, he looked nothing like the way she remembered him. But when she closed her eyes, his heart felt the same. Still the daring gambler she hung out with.

"Lourd? What happened to you?" Skuld stepped forward.

"There was a bit of an accident when I woke up from the pod, and I was sent to another world. Hers, actually. There I gained the trust of a young commander named Yozora. This is his girlfriend Sora. I was told to protect her at all costs. Unfortunately, I failed."

"You failed? What do you mean?" Skuld asked.

"Last time we were here Ansem took Sora and did some experiments on her. She got to know Lea and Isa well enough, but in the end lost almost everything." Lourd explained.

"I...don't remember what happened exactly. I can't tell you what experiments he ran or what they ultimately did to me. But he was interested in my heart. I think it has something to do with my magic. When I woke back up, I was able to detect pure hearts." Sora added.

"How terrible." Skuld gently placed a hand on Sora's shoulder.

"Are Lea and Isa okay?" Sora asked. "They're the only friends I have in this world.

Skuld looked to Ven, who only shook his head. "We don't know. They haven't picked up their phones. But I'm sure they're fine. They were protecting a pure light. And Lea is terrible at picking up his phone."

The room was silent for a few more minutes, each lost in their own thoughts. It seemed like everything happened because of Ansem and his desire to learn about hearts. Sora was experimented on, his heartless and nobody caused who knew how much damage and Ven had been asleep for all of it. Wait a minute.

"Yozora. That name sounds familiar. It was one of the dreams I had while I was in Sora's heart." Ven spoke softly.

"You know Yozora?" Sora stepped forward. "Do you know what happened to him? Lourd said the world fell and is asleep now."

"No, I'm sorry. It's a long story about how I know even that much." Ven apologized.

That was putting it nicely. So much had happened in just the course of time since he had woken up. Ventus wondered how much Lourd had told her. So much for the world order. Of course, when they had finally defeated Xehanort, light came from every world. Maybe it was possible for them to be connected once more.

"Oh! That reminds me! That's why I brought these two to you! Riku is sleeping and Kairi went into his dreams. He's dreaming of your world, Sora." Chirithy hopped up and down.

"You sure about that?" Ven knelt down.

"Positive! I think they needed to go meet this Joshua kid who needed Sora, er, rather *our* Sora for a game of some type. But I can't imagine what Yozora has to do with any of this."

"My guess is they're trying to stop the Master of Masters from making another Kingdom hearts." Lourd surmised.

Ven's head began to hurt. The Master of Masters. He knew that title. He really did. But from where? Ven groaned. If only Namine had been able to unlock his memories. They would be coming in handy right about now. Looking over at Skuld, he could see that she was also thinking deeply about what Lourd had just said.

"Is that where he's been all this time?" She murmured.

"I don't know." Lourd responded, seemingly able to have heard her. "But I think I know where he is planning to meet Luxu. We need to get there. I can guarantee that's where the princesses will be gathered."

"Then let's go! We need to get a hold of those princesses before Kingdom Hearts is opened again." Ven yelled.

"Not so fast, my young friend. My bet is that our friend Luxu knows this too. He's most likely collecting princesses up as well. If we stay our hand a little longer, perhaps we can get a larger prize." Lourd responded.

"But what if we're too late?"

"I happen to know the last pure light is in a place where Luxu cannot access. Once Kairi awakes, we will be in the prime time to find them."

Ven folded his arms. He didn't want to wait, not like this. Not it Lourd knew where to go. Speaking of Lourd, it was pretty convenient that he seemed to have all of the answers. He was hiding a lifetime of secrets, and Ven knew this gambler played his cards extremely close to his vest. Didn't he know that honesty was the best policy?

Ven was almost relieved to be distracted by his thoughts when his phone went off again. After he picked it up, he wouldn't be feeling the same. It was Roxas and Xion, reporting to him for some reason. He was glad they did, but Kairi and Riku had sort of taken up the mantle of leader that Sora had left behind.

"Ven, it's Lea and Isa. Someone came and beat them up big time. They're gonna be out of commission for a while." Roxas reported. "Moana is gone and they said it was two robed people in masks. A snake and a unicorn, I think."

Ven's stomach dropped down past his feet. So Kairi and this hidden pure light were the last two. And now Lea and Isa were out of commission. He wished he knew what to do in this situation. There was just so much going on that he couldn't make heads or tails of anything.

"What? Let me see them! Lea, Isa, not you, too!" Sora reached for the phone.

"They're sleeping now. It's best not to disturb them." Xion replied. "Who are you?"

"My name is Sora. I was friends with Lea and Isa a long time ago."

"Don't worry. They're in good hands. Roxas and I are going to do what we can for them here. They'll be back in tip top shape before you know it."

Sora let out a little sigh at Xion's words. She really did care for her friends, even though it had been a long time since she had seen them. Ventus knew that feeling all too well. He himself had been dreaming of his own friends for ten years. His heart warmed whenever Sora made a new friend, but there was nothing like being close to someone who already knew you so perfectly. Like Terra and Aqua.

"Perhaps it is time we go pay those pure lights a visit after all." Lourd pondered. "Sora has the ability to follow after light."

"Whatever happened to waiting?" Skuld teased.

"Luxu."

They decided to go check on Riku, who was still sleeping. Ienzo told them all signs were normal, but there was no way to get a message to her other than just leaving a note for her once she reemerged.

Then, they were off, despite how cramped it was in the gummi ship. Sora led the way using her light detection magic and soon they found themselves at their destination. They arrived to a large planet with not a lot there. Most of the world was an eerie white. Lourd seemed pleased with himself, as if he needed to come here to confirm that he was right in the first place.

"I learned about this place from Xemnas's chamber of repose. It was where he held all of his dark secrets. When he spoke a secret phrase, the true nature of the world supposedly would appear."

"Let me guess, you know the phrase?" Ventus put his hand on his hips.

"Of course. Those at Castle Oblivion were not the only ones with a double cross." Lourd stepped forward. "Darkness is eternal!"

From somewhere underneath them, the ground began to shake and up rose a large chamber. From inside it, came the voices of three people. One was pale with platinum blonde hair, another had short brown hair and the third had hers in a bun. She was staring out at them from the windows.

"Hey y'all, you are never going to believe this. Either we have trouble or the cavalry is here."

Lauriam

His ears couldn't believe what he just heard. To think that little Ventus had killed the person closest to him. How was that even possible? Brain must have been able to read his face because he began to explain.

"We found him at the scene of the crime and he said he had no memory of what had happened. After that, he started acting more distant from us. Then everything else happened and we never really got a chance to figure out what really went on there. But everything points to him."

"Of all the characters, I never would have guessed that little punk was even capable." Elrena pondered.

"We have to talk to Ventus immediately." Lauriam began walking out of town.

"Except in order to leave the datascape, you have to find where the other terminal is." Brain folded his arms.

"It's in maleficent's castle. That's what Rinoa said." Lauriam noted.

"So she did make it out. Good for her."

"Aren't you changing the subject?" Elrena snarked.

Brain chuckled. These two hadn't changed at all. Lauriam had been upset at the end when the pods were their only choice. Someone had to stay behind and work the machine. They were both against going in the pods at all. But Brain managed to convince them to go in order to find Strelitzia's killer. He hoped it wasn't really Ventus; perhaps the truth would come out in time. It appeared he had been wrong.

"Speaking of which, what happened to Lourd, Skuld and Myde?" Brain asked.

"Skuld was gone when we woke up, but she recently came back, telling us about how she had been travelling the dark realm to find her friend. Myde eventually got his heart taken over and became a nobody, like us." Lauriam explained.

"I see. Lourd was one of Skuld's best friends. You'd always see them together, as if he were doing some kind of security detailing, or whatever."

Brain stood up from where he had been leaning. So it appeared he was missing, too. Brain wondered what could have happened to him. Several lifetimes had passed. He could have been anywhere. That was it. There was one place he could go to get the answers he needed. With a wave of his hand, he ushered Lauriam and Elrena to come with him. They could all find out together.

The three of them headed up through the underground passage and into the clocktower where Brain led them up into his office. When they arrived, he grabbed a black book from the table and opened it, letting the pages fall where they would.

"I've read a little about what's going to happen in the book of prophecies. "It seems like however this book is written got parts and bits of what you said, but nothing about what happened when you first woke up."

"If you have a book that tells you the future, why did you get attacked?" Elrena rolled her eyes.

"It doesn't have all of the things that are going to happen." Brain replied. "But I think we need to wait for Sora to come back in order to talk about what happens next."

"We'll go get him." Lauriam nodded.

"No, he'll be back soon enough. I need you two to do one other job for me."

"What is it?" Elrena asked.

This was going to be difficult. There was still a lot that needed to be done.

"There's a whole collection of these to be found in Radiant Gardens. When you get back, you need to find the princess of the world. Only she is going to be able to open the lock and get to them."

"What's the point of gathering all of the books?" Lauriam asked.

"Because within them is a key that will lead to a secret place. It's where all the worlds combine. Once the pure lights are assembled there, then kingdom hearts can be made without having to gather any hearts."

Lauriam nodded. He didn't need anyone to tell him how serious a matter that was. They would have to get back to Maleficent's castle and fast. She could be home, too. It would be a dangerous mission. But where could they find this princess?

"I'll lead the way for you personally." Brain stepped forward before turning to one of the nearby fighters.

"Lulu, I'm going on a personal mission. I'm leaving command up to you, Quistis and Noctis."

Brain smiled as he began walking toward the outside of town. It wasn't easy to make their way through the rubble. A strange silence hung in the air. Lifetimes had passed, and yet here they were on the datascape as if nothing had happened. They made quick work of any lingering enemies and by the afternoon found themselves at a peculiar castle.

"Well, it's definitely the old bat's style, alright." Elrena shrugged.

"Come on, we need to be quiet." Brain headed toward a small opening at the bottom.

There was an old cellar door that had been covered with brush and twigs. "It's a secret passage that Ava included. I don't think that even Maleficent knows about it. Be prepared for a lot of stairs."

After who knew how long, they finally made it up to a room that was high up in the tower. They could see out the small window all the way to the town and even just a little bit past. Lauriam and Elrena took in their surroundings while Brain began typing away at the computer.

"You have to find the princess. She's our only hope." Brain reminded.

"You aren't coming with us?" Lauriam asked.

"My place is here. Everyone needs me. Besides, right now I'm just a heart in data. You belong out there."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. Now come on, there isn't any time for dramatics. The sooner you can get those books, the better."

Brain pushed a button and once again the beam shot out, taking Lauriam and Elrena for a ride. They arrived back in a room that mirrored where they just were. Everyone had left except for Ansem the Wise who was looking at the screen.

"I see you made it back. Congratulations."

"Thanks. Hey, do you know who rules around here?" Lauriam asked.

"Why you're looking at him." Ansem chuckled.

"What a coincidence." Elrena chortled. "You wouldn't happen to know who the princess of this world is, would you?"

"Of course I do. It's Kairi."


	17. Sweet dreams

alright everyone! here it is! buckle up, because here we go!

* * *

**Kairi**

When she stepped out of the black portal, Kairi took a look around. Rain had recently fallen, the moisture hung heavy in the air. It was dark and there were lightened buildings all around. She felt so small compared to the monoliths.

_so this is what it's like to be in a dream. Hold on, Sora. Riku and I are coming for you._

Kairi took a few steps forward, unsure of where to go. She was all alone. There weren't even any people on the street to talk to for directions. But then again, this wasn't some new world. It was Riku's subconscious.

As she walked down the road, she too formed the distinct impression that she was being watched, but she wasn't sure where it was coming from. The lights reflecting off the wet streets made it difficult to see the rooftops, besides the dark blanket that was the sky. At least the stars looked the same.

Further down the road, Kairi saw a young man who looked almost identical to Riku, except he had black hair. He was falling downward and used a barrier spell to brace himself at the landing, bouncing a couple of times before stopping close to Kairi. The man looked at her with his red and blue eyes, sizing her up. When it appeared he was done he turned and gave a small huff.

"Not who I thought."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kairi yelled.

He started to walk away, so naturally Kairi couldn't help but follow him. He walked slowly enough that she could keep pace, but not so slowly that following him was easy. The streets twisted and turned until they reached a small intersection where the buildings were less densely packed together. Kairi didn't think they had been walking for that long, but the cityscape behind her begged otherwise.

"Who are you?" Kairi called ahead. "Please. I need help finding Sora."

He turned and stopped at that. "You're looking for...Sora?"

"Yes." Kairi bent over to catch her breath. "He's very important to me."

The young man clenched his fists. "So am I. But it sounds like they're not the same person."

"Would you like some help?"

"No. Outside of Aegis and Magia, I work alone. Go back to where you came from."

"Please. You've been appearing in my friend's dreams. We were hoping you might know something about where Sora is."

He closed his eyes and breathed out a sigh. When he opened his eyes and looked to the stars. "You sure have an odd sense of humor, Joshua."

"Wait, you know Joshua?"

"Unfortunately."

Desperation rose in Kairi's chest. Chirithy had said that Joshua wanted Sora for a game. Which meant that he was supposed to come to….Riku's dream? No, wait, that part didn't matter. Joshua wanted Sora as part of a game of some sorts. And this guy knew Joshua. So maybe there was something Kairi could do in Sora's place. It wouldn't bring Sora home, but it might get her closer to Joshua.

"Look. This place isn't what you think it is. You said I've been appearing in your friend's dreams, right? Well Joshua said this was sort of a hub world for dreams. So if you die here, you won't be finding anyone." The stranger explained.

"All the more reason to work together. I know I'm not the strongest choice but-"

"Not interested unless your name is Namine." He cut her off.

"Namine?" Kairi's eyes opened wide.

He shoved his hands in his pockets and leaned most of his weight onto one foot. If Kairi were honest, he looked like he was tired of having to explain himself. But he wanted to find Namine for some reason. How? Why? They didn't even know where she was at the moment. What were the odds it was their Namine anyway?

"Yeah. Given by your response you aren't her. Should have known." He looked over Kairi's head to scan the area. "I was supposed to be game partners with Sora. But something changed. So after a while, Joshua told me my new partner was this Namine girl. He said chances were good she'd show up in your friend's dream."

Kairi giggled a little at that. While Namine resided in her heart, there would always be a warmth and a smile that came to her face involuntarily whenever Riku touched her hand she had noticed him staring for too long. Obviously there was more going on between them.

"That's a good bet, but we aren't sure where she is right now." Kairi sighed. "My name is Kairi. You never said what yours was."

"Of course it is."

Kairi stared at the stranger in confusion. So he knew her name? How much did this Joshua kid know, anyway?

"Look. I'm supposed to reassure you that you are good enough and Sora will come home."

Dumbfounded, Kairi placed her hand to her heart. She hadn't told anyone that she had been feeling like this except for Riku. But maybe that was coming through. This was his dream after all.

"I'm going to need to know your name before I can start trusting the things you say."

"It's Yozora."

"Like the night sky…" Kairi whispered.

Yozora smirked. In truth Kairi looked very similar to his Sora. He had hoped they were one and the same the instant he saw her. Despite her not being the girl he loved, she didn't seem like a bad person. He just didn't have time for this. He still had another challenge that needed to be done, and he couldn't do it on his own.

"Okay, I guess. Then I'm going back to the city. Maybe once you find Namine you'll be able to convince me that I'm not worthless."

"What will you do in the mean time?"

"Find Joshua. I need him to tell me where my Sora is."

Kairi knew she had simply referred to him as 'her Sora' to differentiate who she was talking about, but it had a certain ring to it that she just….*liked*. She was going to have to use that when they got home. Especially when that Haruhi was around. She saw how that girl had looked at Sora when they shared a microscope together.

"You aren't going to find him." Yozora interrupted her again.

"Huh?" Kairi turned.

"Joshua. He's not here. The only way we can see him is if I can find Namine and beat these last couple of challenges."

Kairi shook her head in disbelief. "The why did you lead me all the way out here?"

"_I _wasn't trying to lead you anywhere! I was trying to get _away _from you. How was I supposed to know that you were you?"

Maybe she could take being assured. She had been able to do so with her other friends. As long as Namine wasn't here, he wouldn't have to know. However, Kairi got the sense that this Joshua would be able to see right through her act. She just wanted to see Sora. At least then everything could go back to normal.

"Hey, do you see a beach over there, or is that just me?" Yozora looked toward the horizon.

"Well, you did say this is the hub world for dreams closest to Riku." Kairi mused. "Oh! And Ienzo said something about dreams and the heart being connected. Maybe that's Riku's heart?"

"Would Namine be there?"

"There is a possibility."

Yozora simply began walking toward the horizon, a determined look on his face. Kairi followed after him, doing her best to catch up. He refused to look at her or even acknowledge her. So this must have been how Namine felt in Castle Oblivion. She had heard Riku talking about it every so often before Namine got her replica, but any details he had given were sparse and hurried.

The sound of the waves hit Kairi before the scents or the heat did. Her heart ached for her home. They hadn't been gone too long on this trip comparatively, but it still felt like forever. Part of her questioned if Sora or Riku had ever felt this longing for the play island when they were on their own quests. They were always itching to leave and see what was out there. Did they ever think about home? The people they had left behind? She shook her head. Now was not the time for this.

"What...is this place?" Yozora stopped as he stepped onto the soft sand. They could still see the world with the cityscape, but it was far behind.

"Home." Kairi smiled faintly.

"Aren't you a little pale to be from an island?"

"First of all, rude. Second, I wasn't born here. But it's home alright. Look!"

Pointing over to the paopu tree, Kairi noticed a petite form sitting in the spot she normally took when she, Riku and Sora hung out at the tree. She let out a gasp.

"Namine!"

The figure jolted and nearly fell off the tree when Kairi called her name. She turned and saw the two standing on the beach with a black as night area behind them that hadn't been there before. It was Kairi and...Riku? No, he was similar, but not him.

"_That's_ Namine?" Yozora crossed his arms as soon as he saw the white-robed witch coming towards them from the tree. "This might be harder than I expected."

"She's stronger than she looks." Kairi defended. "A lot of us are."

"Kairi, what are you doing here?" Namine hugged her sister.

"No time for pleasantries. We have to get going." Yozora grabbed Namine's hand and pulled her back toward the cityscape.

Kairi followed behind,explaining everything to Namine, although she couldn't tell her what the game was or why they had chosen to be game partners. Yozora stopped her and held Namine's hand up to her face.

"Do you see that?" Yozora asked, showing Namine the timer that was moving down ever so slowly.

"Y-yeah. I was wondering what it was."

"You only have this long until you die. Permanently."

"Die?!?" Kairi gasped.

"Yeah. You already died once. That's why you're in the game. We're fighting to get our lives back. I gave up the way I used to look and my ability to go home."

"Did you have to give up anything, Namine?" Kairi gasped.

"I...well, I spoke to a blond boy. Everything makes sense now."

Namine placed her hands behind her back. But it didn't make any sense. Namine hadn't died. She just got kicked out of her body. Was that the same thing? Even was almost done with her replica though, so this game shouldn't even be necessary. Kairi needed to let Namine know.

"I don't get it. Even is in the middle of making you a new replica. How does that qualify you as being dead?"

"The blond boy said something about that. He said because my heart has been attached to someone else's for so long, it sort of...falls in between. You were fine to be tied to Sora's heart for so long because you were pure. You became his guiding light. Ven, too. But I'm neither wholly yours nor Sora's like Roxas or Xion. So your heart tried to wash me out the whole time I was there."

"Nami, I'm sorry." Kairi whispered. "I'm glad you were safe in Riku's heart."

"So that's why it felt so familiar." A faint smile hid on Namine's lips.

"We found Namine. Let's get Kairi figured out so we can finish the last trial." Yozora interrupted.

"Namine, you have to assure me that everything is going to be okay, or something. Then we can move on."

Namine paused and shook her head, taking Kairi's hands. "You don't need assurance that everything is going to be alright. You know that already. But you do need to know that what happened is not your fault and that Sora loves you very much."

Kairi gulped. Figures that Namine would be able to see right through her. After all, the former nobody had been born of Sora and Kairi's hearts merging. Kairi had occasionally wondered how many of her memories Namine had looked at. She knew that every single memory of Sora's had been scoured to completely erase the redhead- and then put her back again.

"I'll be over there." Yozora stated before going just out of earshot.

"I don't-" Kairi began to argue.

"I know it's been hard for you. Sora keeps leaving and you can't help but wonder if it's because you aren't enough." Namine squeezed Kairi's hands again. "Sora's ability to connect hearts is astounding, but there are so many parts of his own that he's only just now started exploring. Give him time. When this is all over-the book of prophecies, the new princesses of heart, everything is over, I know you two will get the chance to really connect the way you should."

"Yeah."

"Until then, take your mistakes with a grain of salt and try to be better. No one is blaming you. It's about time you join them."

Kairi pulled her hands out of Namine's to wipe away a tear. She smiled and nodded. Perhaps- no, Namine was right. She had been beating herself up for too long. It was time for Kairi to throw herself into saving Sora. She didn't have time or energy to waste feeling pity for herself.

"It'll take some time, but I'd like to try my best." Kairi agreed. "For Sora."

Namine let go of Kairi's hands and they walked to where Yozora was standing, fiddling about on his phone. He had seen a new mission from Joshua that read as one cryptic line: head to the city and make it quick. There was a timer for 20 minutes on the message.

"I can't run that fast. Especially with all of the monsters that are in that part of the city." Yozora growled.

"That's why you have me." Namine summoned her staff. "It might be a tight fit, but I think I can use a wind spell to propel us to the city."

"Wha-?"

Yozora didn't even get a chance to finish what he was trying to say. Namine held her staff behind them going across the backs of their legs and cast the wind spell. The staff hovered quickly over the land, Kairi and Namine sitting on the staff's handle. By some miracle, Yozora had caught hold of it before they flew off and cast a wind spell of his own under his feet so as to keep up as he held on.

They made it back to the city in record time, and before many of the monsters could catch up. From the tops of one of the buildings descended a too-skinny boy with messy blond hair and a purple shirt. He had a smirk on his face similar to the one Riku wore when he was younger and had just beaten Sora in a battle.

"So, you figured something out. Way to go."

"Are you...Joshua?" Kairi stepped forward, despite being a little shaky from the ride.

"Depends on who's asking. And I'm the one who does the asking around here." Joshua replied. "Did you bring what I asked for?"

"Yeah, no help from that partner of mine." Yozora shrugged as he handed over a small box. "Found it near some hole in Olympus."

"Excellent." Joshua smirked. "Now, your Sora, Yozora, is with your driver. Turns out he's an excellent bodyguard, too. Kairi, your Sora is in the datascape."

"Can you send me to him?" Kairi pled.

"That's the plan. But there's a catch. I need you both to do one more thing for me."

"Anything." Kairi affirmed.

"I need you to kill the guy they call Luxu. And none of this letting him pretend he's dead stuff."

Kill? They never had to kill anyone before. Practically everyone they've ever had to vanquish was a nobody or a heartless. They didn't really die. Even Xehanort kind of...vanished with Terra, Aqua and Ven's master. But they had to do what they had to do. Yozora simply nodded and folded his arms. With a snap of his fingers, Joshua sent Yozora away and Namine melded into a heart, floating back into Kairi.

"The datascape is in the highest portion of Ansem's castle. I suggest you hurry."

Kairi summoned her keyblade and held it out into the air. Another dark corridor appeared and she walked through, more confident this time. When she arrived back in the lab, Riku was just waking up.

"I have great news! I found both Sora and Namine!" Kairi announced.

"What? Where are they?" Riku rubbed an eye as Ienzo took out his IV.

"Namine is back with me. We need that replica now."

"I've got it, I've got it." Even walked in, carrying two replicas. One was slung over his back and the other under his arm. "I happened to have enough to make two of them, but this one is for Lauriam. Also, that pink-haired nuisance needs to see you, Kairi."

"No time. Namine and I need to get to the datascape. Can you help her out, Riku?"

Riku was caught off guard for a minute at the way Kairi had taken charge. He hadn't seen her act like this in a while. There was a glimmer of hope that she was back to her old self again. It looked like Sora was able to help her, even without physically being there. He quickly called forth braveheart and took aim.

Just as it had happened last time with Sora, Namine's heart glowed as it exited Kairi's chest and floated into the replica Even was holding. He clearly was not prepared for what came next, because he nearly dropped her from his grasp.

"The heart couldn't have gone to the one on my shoulder, of course." Even rolled his eyes. "Welcome back, Namine."

"Are we in the datascape?" Namine asked, standing up. "I wonder how the data versions of everyone are doing."

"Not yet." Riku smiled in relief. "I'm glad you're home. Where were you, anyway?"

"Your heart."

This left Riku speechless. She had been so close the whole time. A blush filled his face as Kairi cleared her throat. She pointed up and playfully stuck out her tongue.

"Sorry Riku. I have to take your girlfriend away for just a little bit longer."

Kairi grabbed a confused Namine's hand and led her up to Ansem's castle as Riku was babbling. He was trying to say something more than an objection, but he simply couldn't.

They flew up several flights of stairs before they were in the tip tower. Kairi hoped that they weren't in the wrong wing, as that was way more of an exercise than she could have expected. They needed lifts like Hollow Bastion had. There was the sound of discussion coming from one of the rooms, which thankfully proved to be Lauriam, Elrena and Ansem the wise.

"Well, if it isn't the princess herself." Lauriam smirked. "To think you were right there all along."

"Princess? You realize princess of heart is just a title, right?"

"I am afraid that's not quite what he meant, Kairi. Please, sit down. We have received word from Ienzo that Roxas and Xion are bringing back an injured Lea and Isa. Terra and Aqua's search proved fruitless as well and are soon to be in our midst again." Ansem gestured to a pair of chairs, which Kairi and Namine gratefully took.

"If you weren't referring to my status as a princess of heart, what _did_ you mean?" Kairi asked carefully.

"Your memories were suppressed of your time here in Radiant Garden. But I knew you and how you survived the fall." Ansem looked Kairi directly in the eyes. "You were usually out enjoying all of the flowers that grow around here."

"You...did?" Kairi folded her hands in her lap and squeezed them together.

"Yes. Your grandmother was a friend of mine and frequented the castle whenever she came to visit Rinoa or I. You would tag along, usually carrying some kind of flower

"What happened?"

"I happened to be walking in the courtyard once when you were playing. Seemingly out of nowhere a bright light shone from you, and out popped a girl about 14 or 15, wearing pink and white robes. Her face held some sort ofI mask, although I didn't get a good look. She spoke to you and then held out her hand to you."

"Ava."

"So you know her."

"Briefly. Keep going."

"As you reached out, the girl split into two. One was her regular self and the other a shadow; a perfect copy in darkness." Ansem sighed. "I called Braig over, as he was the only guard around me, but instead of going to protect you, he began talking to the shadow of the girl. Her original form used a keyblade to make a portal, and before I knew it, you were gone."

"So Ava is the one who suppressed your memory?" Namine asked.

"Sounds about right. We found out she did something similar to those of us who survived the keyblade war. It's probably where you got your power from, Namine." Lauriam noted.

"You were the light of our world. You helped keep the darkness at bay. With your light missing, it was only a matter of time and inner treachery from Xehanort before our world fell." Ansem finished.

Kairi squeezed her hands once again. It was all so hard to take in. So this Braig had been the reason that she had ended up on destiny islands. So many emotions were swimming through her mind. What about her parents? Had her grandmother been restored? Tears were falling from her eyes, despite the fact that she still didn't know what to think.

Namine and Riku wrapped their arms around her, squeezing her in between them. Her shoulders began to involuntarily shake, and she kept her eyes trained to a spot on the floor. She let them hold her, glad to have some security in this time of deep uncertainty. Now if only Sora could be with them, life would be better.

As she thought about what she had been told, she felt almost as if there were a voice on the wind. The voice was warm, calm and soft. It was Sora's.

_wherever you go, I'm always with you._

Her heart took courage at his vote of assurance and softly pushed out of the embrace. It didn't matter if the voice was really Sora's or not. Their destinies were intertwined. They were going to be bound to one another, no matter what.

"Before we continue forward, there is something I need you to do, Kairi. There is a particular safe that is in my office. No one has been able to open it, as it required a heart of pure light. I do not know what is inside it, but perhaps it may be useful in your plight."

Ansem led them down the hall and toward one of the staircases. Kairi inwardly groaned as she realized they'd have to walk all the way down the very stairs she and Namine had worked to get up just a short time ago. Thankfully though, they turned at the last moment and entered another room where a large desk was in front of a blank corkboard. From what it looked like, pins that had been stuck in one space for a very long time had recently been taken down. Kairi swore she could still see the outlined of the hanging papers.

"Here it is. All that is needed is a hand print."

Kairi nodded and complied. She placed her hand on the indicated spot and watched as a small green light flashed under her hand. There was a small *click* noise before the chest vibrated and began to open. She had never seen technology like that at home. They were just now starting to catch up with many of the other worlds.

Inside lay a pile of six books bound in white and gold. Kairi nearly dared not to touch them. They looked so pristine. If she didn't know any better, she'd say they were brand new.

"So… are we going to read the enemies into submission?" Riku raised an eyebrow.

"No way...is that-" Elrena whispered.

"These look just like the books of prophecies." Lauriam finished. "Well, not quite, but close enough."

"Wait, there's more than one?" Kairi hurriedly asked.

"Yeah. Each of the foretellers got one. Don't you remember about what Skuld was saying about the unions? I was a unicornis under Ira." Elrena replied.

"That's right. Do you think we should take a peek? You know, to see what's coming up?" Kairi felt the soft leather binding of the book closest to her.

"I don't know. I mean, can the future be changed at all? Maybe we ought to check with Merlin to find out about time travel magic." Namine asked.

"Of course it can be changed. We brought you Xion and Roxas back, didn't we? There's gotta be some kind of magic that's writing the book as things happen." Riku countered.

"What we need is a plan of attack." Kairi reminded. "Namine and I are going into the datascape. How about you go check with Merlin, Riku?"

"Sure. Be safe, you two. Bring Sora home soon, okay?"

"We will."

"And Namine-" Riku placed his hands in his pockets. "I'll see you soon."

She held out her pinky for him to wrap his finger around hers. He shyly held his hand up, extending the pinky while he did so. With a smile, she completed the promise.

Kairi and Namine stood aside and Ansem completed the necessary keystrokes to send the two to the datascape. In the light that lingered from the laser emerged a large group of people.

"We got a special delivery and heard you guys might be up here" Ven waved.

"The other princesses. But there are only three of them." Lauriam noted.

"There were two lights here. We thought it best to check it out." Lourd added.

"Looks like one of them was Kairi. Where's the other princess?" Ven asked.

"Other princess? You got us." Elrena folded her arms.

"Its coming from the computer." Skuld pointed to the screen.

They didn't have a chance to see what was coming through. The tower shook with a trembling that hadn't been felt since the world fell. Lauriam raced to the window and looked out.

"It's Xigbar. And it looks like he brought some friends."


	18. Home at Last

alright everyone. this was a little shorter than usual and really dialogue heavy. sorry if it's a quick read, but we're just about done. hope you enjoy it!

* * *

**Sora**

Sora headed back to daybreak town with a heavy heart. Not only had he not exacted any kind of revenge on Pete for what he had done (although to be fair, the concept of actually taking revenge was a new one for him.), but he had lost Zack to Vanitas of all people. What was he doing back here?

And now Zack was a princess of- no, hold on. Pure light. Yeah, he was a pure light. He wondered why he felt happier whenever Zack was nearby. Kairi did the same thing to him, although Sora knew it was for *different* reasons.

The town was looking a little better, although there was still a ton of rubble everywhere. People were all over the place, beginning to clean up. Sora began to help with clean up when he heard a strange noise behind him. He turned as quickly as he could to see Brain standing there.

"Brain, when did you get there?"

"Just a second ago. I'm still just a heart, so travel isn't exactly a problem for me." He smirked. "Can I talk to you?"

Sora nodded and they walked to the bell tower together. The top floors had a large chunk taken out of it, so Sora had to use flow motion to move about. Brain walked calmly, hopping cross large gaps easily, and watching as Sora leapt from wall to wall. Things had certainly changed since he had been back to the real world. He wondered what it was like. There were nights he wondered about his Celine and what happened to her.

When they arrived to the room with no name, Sora landed onto the carpet and stood before Brain. He nodded and began thumbing through the bookshelves until he found the particular book that he was expecting. It was black and worn, the pages slightly yellowed.

"Open it up to page 256. I think you'll find something in there that interests you."

Sora carefully flipped through the book, catching a few words here and there as he did so. When he reached the correct page, he began to read. His eyes opened wide as he realized what exactly his mind was processing.

"This is about Kairi! My Kairi! And this Luxu guy didn't stop her from being taken away!"

"On the contrary. She had been split into two, her darkness and light separated. They were never meant to be apart, and yet, they should not be brought back together. So in the meantime, Ava has been residing in your friend's heart while her darkness has been hard at work, defying the Master of Masters."

"The Master of...Masters?" Sora asked, putting the book down.

"Yeah. He was the guy who orchestrated all of this. Then one day, poof. Missing. No one has seen him since."

"Is that why you ended up here?"

"There's a bit more behind that, but I can't really say that right now. Isn't there someone else you'd rather be thinking about? Read on."

Sora's mind was drawn back to the day at the pier right before his adventure started.

_Wherever you go, I'm always with you._

His heart reached out for Kairi's and for a moment, he thought he might have reached her. The sensation of connecting with her didn't last nearly long enough. He was already beginning to wonder if it had really happened at all or if it were in his head like every other time.

As he continued reading, he learned about how Kairi had been the right of Radiant Garden and with her gone, the planet fell to darkness so much easier. It was all according to Luxu's plan. From what Sora could see, even that conversation had been recorded.

_The pawns are all falling into place, but I'm looking for a better treasure. I don't suppose you know of the old book of prophecies, do ya? Or of that big black chest I lost a long time ago thanks to you?_

The dark form didn't speak. There was no way to know what happened next. The text jumped to another instance with this Luxu character. Sora was about to shut it when he saw the name Ansem. It looked like no name had been stolen from Ansem's hand by Luxu only to be put back in time for it to change 13 hearts into nobodies, Luxu included.

"Wait a minute….then this Luxu guy had to be one of the organization members. And there was only one member who could have survived the battle. Xigbar.

"You're kidding me! You mean there was another bad guy the whole time?! Can't they just all retire? I want to go home!" Sora yelled in anger.

Brain walked over and put his hand on Sora's shoulder. He had been like that for the first few years he was here, too. They would get Sora back to the real world so that he could get back to his Kairi. Brain flashed Sora a reassuring smile and reminded him that the terminal to get back was still just sitting in Maleficent's tower.

But Sora had traveled enough to Maleficent's tower. They hadn't seen the old witch the whole time they were there. If it hadn't been for his new friends in the datascape, he'd be perfectly content to seal her away in it. Realization struck Sora in that very moment. They would have to go back. This time, Maleficent would have to be ended for good. Then they could safely seal away the datascape to keep it out of her grasp.

"You're right. I need to go back there one more time. Maleficent has caused enough trouble. For everyone."

"I'll go with you."

"No. I need to do this by myself."

Brain chuckled. "Then I suppose you know how to use the keyboard to get home?"

"Wait, I'll have to use a computer to get home?"

"Yeah. How else do you think you get to the _d__ata _scape?"

"Aww man. I'm doomed!"

Brain laughed again and looked Sora in the eyes. "Don't worry, I won't get in your way. Lead on, Sora."

The trail to Maleficent's castle was familiar now. Sora traversed it easily and utilized his flow motion to bounce off anything he could. He was getting stronger. Not to say he was back up to where he was originally, but his spells were more effective and he could remember some of his more impressive moves. Now if only he knew where Vanitas had taken Zack.

The castle rose in the distance, growing on the horizon. Had they really gotten there already? Sora had been moving on autopilot, which was a pretty quick speed on its own. Because he didn't have to worry about Brain keeping up with him or getting tired, he was able to simply go.

He pulled a potion from his pocket and chugged it down, restoring his energy. When they Finally got to the castle, the afternoon sun was moving down the sky, nearly to the tips of the far away mountains. Just as he had last time, Brain utilized the secret entry and the flow motion drove Sora up the stairs quickly. They entered the room where the computer was, and what did he see than an angel in pink with her back turned to him.

Kairi.

Whatever thoughts he had left his head and he leapt through the door. He pushed his way to the computer's edge to wrap her in his arms. Little did he expect for her to throw him over her shoulder, Namine doing her best to suppress a bout of laughter.

"Get off me, you creep!" Kairi yelled.

Kairi blinked as she noticed Namine's shoulders shaking slightly. Looking down, she saw Sora looking back up at her. Even though he had just been thrown, the smile on his face was enormous. He popped up quickly and wrapped his arms around her. It was hard for Kairi to process all of the emotions that welled up in her now.

Was this real? He was here?

"Kairi, I found you!" Sora's eyes began to tear up as he tightened her grip around her.

"Sora? Is it really you?" Kairi remained unmoving.

"Yes, it's really me! I missed you so much!" He held her at arm's length. "Are you okay? I thought you'd be happier to see me. Are you mad I went away again?"

Kairi looked at Sora with tender eyes. Namine quickly excused herself and walked out of the room to give them some privacy. She knew exactly how they were feeling and didn't want to intrude in any way. Brain met her out in the hallway and together they walked a short distance away, keeping an eye out for Maleficent, Pete or their goonies. Meanwhile, Sora stood in front of Kairi with a questioning look on his face.

"What is it?" kairi asked.

"I told you something before I disappeared. I want to know how you were going to reply."

A blush covered kairi's face, and she held her hands behind her back. She was nervous, Sora could tell. On her face was a coy smile. Her eyes never deviated from his. This had been the moment she had dreamed about several times since he disappeared. Of course in her dreams they were in a more romantic spot- say the beach, or the world of sea and sky or literally anywhere else besides an old, musty tower next to a giant computer monitor and set up. But beggars can't be choosers.

"I suppose you'd like me to say that I love you, too." Kairi smiled softly.

"Only if you mean it."

Kairi shook her head. There were no words that really needed to be said. She could say exactly what she meant without a single word. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him softly, returning to her position after just a few seconds. Now it was Sora's turn to be completely still. He had expected her to say something. He hadn't expected her to be so forward. When his brain finally was able to process what happened, he looked back at the girl he had dreamed about so much.

"I guess that's one way to put it." Sora laughed.

He began to rise in the air, by just a couple of inches. Kairi giggled when she tried to pull him back down but only ended rising to her tip toes instead. He joined in, forcing his body to land.

"Hey! I can glide again! You must have been my happy thought, Kairi."

There was an explosion just a short bit away, tearing the two from their conversation. Namine poked her head in the room. "Hate to interrupt you two, but we have a very unwelcome guest here."

"FOOLS! OUT OF MY CASTLE!"

"I was wondering when she'd make her appearance." Sora grimaced.

"Maleficent?" Kairi sighed.

"Unfortunately. But we can take care of her. We're together."

With a nod, Kairi called out design's embrace while Sora grabbed his trusty kingdom key. Outside the door Brain and Namine had already called out their weapons. Instead of a keyblade, Namine had a white staff with a trident on the end. She must have gotten magic and a new weapon somewhere along the way.

"It's time to end this, Maleficent!" Sora charged.

Maleficent raised her staff and cast a fire spell. She wasn't expecting to have to fight this runt and his friends, but perhaps it would be better to get him out of her horns for good. Soon she would have what she wanted. She fought ferociously, wanting to defend her castle. Heartless came to her aid, and soon, Pete did too.

"There's too many of them!" Namine held up a barrier.

"Namine, Brain, you guys take care of the heartless. Kairi, you have Pete. I'll deal with Maleficent!" Sora called out.

"No, that won't work. Kairi, Namine, you two keep the heartless off my back. I want to try something." Brain ran off to the computer room.

"Oh no you don't!" Pete charged.

He followed after Brain while the girls hurried to step in front of the door. There was a large amount of heartless to contend with, but with their light magic, they managed to fend them off.

A few minutes later, a light shone from the computer room and Pete could be heard screaming. All of a sudden, it was gone, Brain reemerging. He noted that he had sent Pete back to the real world and intended to do the same with the others once Maleficent was gone.

With Brain and Namine holding the heartless back, Sora and Kairi were free to attack Maleficent. They did so until she pushed them back with a ring of fire. It was too small here to battle in her true form, and there was no way she was going to risk breaking the computer. So, she shrunk into a small green orb of light and fluttered out the window. From there, she transformed into a giant dragon and took to the skies.

"Come on, Kairi! Grab my hands and I'll be your wings!" Held out his hand, already halfway out the window.

She grabbed his hand and after he wrapped his arm around her, he began to fly towards the dragon. Together they landed on the beast's back. The wind was strong here, but Sora managed to get a hold of one of her wings. It was hard to hold on, so Sora used a gravity spell on them so they could stay close on her back.

"I have to concentrate on the spell that's keeping us on the dragon. All you have to do is start attacking her wings. That ought to ground her!" Sora yelled.

Kairi nodded and began to hit Maleficent where she knew it had to hurt. The dragon faltered every so often, throwing her head back to shoot green fire at the two. When that happened, Kairi would use a barrier spell to surround herself and Sora. The more she hit at the witch, the more she kept using fire against them.

Soon Maleficent was forced to land atop the spire near where Brain and Namine were. Sora was exhausted from keeping the gravity spell going for so long, but he was still willing to keep fighting, as long as Kairi was at his side.

Maleficent was getting tired, too. Those sniveling brats had taken out one of her wings, and she'd been forced to make an emergency landing. She swore she'd roast them.

More barrier spells were created until the opening came. Sora looked at Kairi. "Now, let's go!"

As if she suddenly understood what Sora meant, she grabbed his hand and together they leapt at the dragon, keyblades at the ready. A light surrounded them and they slashed through the dragon in one easy slice. She withered away, until she was nothing more than a staff and a ring, which burned away in green fire.

They flopped onto the castle roof, leaning on each other for support. Kairi closed her eyes until they heard a voice calling for them.

"Hey you two, the heartless are gone! It's time to go home!"

Back in the room with the computer, Brain had a serious look on his face. "Sora, promise me that you'll seal away the datascape when you go home. Right now it's connected to a small glitch in the firewall of the Radiant garden security system."

"Wait, you aren't coming with us?"

"Yes and no."

"What?"

"Sora." Brain locked eyes with him. "My heart is backed up as data, so part of me can stay here. But if you were to go alone without my help, you'd disappear immediately. You overtaxed the power of waking, didn't you?"

"How did- "

"I've seen a lot of things in my time."

"So then what's going to happen?"

"I'll place my real heart inside yours. When you get back, I'll offer up myself in your place."

"You'd really do that?" Kairi whispered.

"But what about the people here?"

"Brain has a data version of himself already uploaded. It's not dissimilar to when we made the data version of you." Namine replied.

"That's right! You made Jiminy's journal in the datascape and it turned into Riku." Sora recalled.

Namine nodded and blushed slightly. She hoped he wouldn't see her heart in that decision. Riku had been so strong and determined. If she knew of anyone who could protect her message and keep the journal safe, it was him. Besides, Sora had a strong connection to Riku. She could only hope that would help in the future, which it turned out it had.

_That's right._Those memories she found. _They were Ven's. That's where she learned about the book of prophecies_.

"I've got the system already warming up. It's time to go, guys. Sora, Thank you."

"Wait!"

But it was too late. Brain's body had dissolved, leaving only the hat with its feather sitting on the ground. At eye level was a heart, floating into Sora's chest. The beam shot out of the computer and captured the three of them. When they arrived back in the real world, Ansem was sitting beside a sleeping Pete who had come out of the datascape when Ansem arrived to check on things. He used a quick sleep spell, as everyone else was out fighting Luxu's forces.

"Brain…" Sora placed a hand on his heart. There was a small empty spit that had been filled just a moment prior.

"It is good to see you back, young Sora." Ansem smiled, putting down his book.

"Now's not the time for pleasantries. We gotta seal off the datascape!" Sora turned back toward the computer. "Where's that fire hall?"

"You mean the fire wall? Ienzo has been investigating one as of late…"

"Pull it up, please. We need to close it."

Sensing urgency, Ansem nodded and made a few keystrokes on the computer. The screen showed a bright green hole in a simulated wall. Holding his keyblade in front of him, Sora locked the computer, and the image of the green splotch went away. Now it was just a solid wall.

"At least they're safe now." Sora sighed.

"Is everything okay, Sora? I know you're going to miss them." Kairi took his hand.

"No, everything is not okay. Vanitas has Zack. He's a pure light." Sora shook his head.

"Guys, we have some visitors. You're going to want to come down." Ienzo huffed in the doorway. "Ah, welcome back, Sora. I'm glad you're safe."

**Luxu**

Earlier that afternoon, as Xigbar was preparing for his attack on Radiant Garden, unrest was being fostered by his companions. Ever since Luxu had summoned them back, Gula had been wary of the man. He clearly knew more than he was letting on. What's more is that he left the care of the princesses to Gula, figuring that he would be a good little minion.

But not anymore.

When the time was right, Gula and aced went in to check on the princesses. Instead of coming right back out, however, they summoned a light portal and hurried through, not realizing this was exactly what Luxu hoped they'd do.

That was why he put Gula in charge of the princesses. Gula always was fond of Ava. When she didn't show up to their meeting, he had been vocal about her. It made Luxu sick. They were supposed to be rivals. He didn't have room in his plans for friendship. After all, he only had a short time before the master of masters returned. He was just one princess short...

A dark portal appeared in the living room and out popped two people, that smarmy Vanitas kid and a guy he didn't recognize. The older guy had a large sword and seemed to be pretty disoriented.

"You, you're looking for pure lights, right?" Vanitas pushed Zack onto the couch.

"What's it to a kid like you?"

"Well, if you weren't interested in a pure light, I could always go see how desperate those guardians of light are "

"You mean to say this guy is a pure light? No kidding." Luxu put his hands on his hips. "What's your asking price?"

"Nothing much, just a box of books."

"Who are you?"

"I told Sora. I am darkness." Vanitas smirked. "And I remember you, Luxu."

**Ventus**

A light shone in the middle of battle as Ventus and the rest of his friends were locked into battle. He wasn't sure that Sora girl was going to be able to hold her own in a battle, but with Lourd keeping an eye on her back, she was doing pretty well. He was about to slash at a nobody that was doing Luxu's bidding when a red laser nearly shot him.

He looked over to where it had come from when he saw Riku. No, it wasn't Riku, it was someone else. He looked familiar...from the dreams he had in Sora's heart.

"Sora!" He called out, shooting a nobody that was going toward her blind spot.

"Yozora? Is that you?" Sora ran at him and softly took his hand. For a minute, everything went quiet and it was just those two in the whole wide world.

"Now might not be the right time, you guys!" Ven swatted away a heartless.

The group continued to fight the wave of heartless and nobodies until they were all gone. In the cleared air, Sora, Kairi and Namine were looking for enemies. It seemed Luxu had managed to get away without anyone noticing, although Ven noted that he had said something about the Keyblade Graveyard when he appeared.

"Sora? Is that you?" Roxas was the first to see their friend.

"Yeah. I'm back!" Sora beamed.

His friends gathered around him and hugged him, welcoming him back. Namine ran to merlin's house to fetch Riku. He was going to want to see his best friend come home. Sora's eyes had tears in them. He was so happy to see them all again. His hand found Kairi's, and his eyes locked onto the trio standing aside.

"No way! Yozora? You're real?" Sora gaped.

"What do you mean? Of course I'm real."

"Sorry, it's just that I thought you were a video game character."

"Well, I'm not. And we still have a job to do. Luxu got away from me and I wasn't able to kill him for Joshua."

As Kairi and Yozora began explaining everything, the shade of Ava moved out of Kairi's heart and appeared before them. No one knew what exactly had just happened, but she was there. Before anyone could question, another voice spoke up.

"Ava! Is that you?"

Seeing Gula and Aced with Moana and Anna, everyone called out their weapons. But they assured them they came in peace. They explained who they were. Ava smiled the whole time, looking over at Gula.

"The only thing I don't get is why you look like that, Ava." Gula turned to her.

"It was darkness. It took a version of my body and killed one of my union leaders, blaming Ventus here. I am so sorry for any trouble you went through because of this. Darkness will pay. He goes by the name Vanitas now."

Ventus stood still, frozen by the way Ava put it so blatantly. He had...been framed for murder? Terra and Aqua placed their hands on his shoulders as he grabbed his head. It hurt. His head felt like it was being torn apart. It looked like the same thing was happening to Lauriam, Elrena and Lourd as well.

"Ngh...my head! Why can't I remember?!" Ventus yelled.

Then just like that, the pain was gone. As if someone had blown up a dam, the entirety of a life he didn't know began rushing into his mind. The things Skuld said earlier were coming back to him. The dark room and the scream from a girl he didn't know. Confusion and a darkness he hadn't known in a long time. He was likely to explode at this rate.

"Ven? What's going on? Speak to us, Ven!" Aqua shook him.

"His memories are coming back in. I apologize. I had to seal them away for a while to protect him. If Xehanort knew the things he had seen and done, Ven would have been in danger much sooner than when you all met him. I'm sorry." Ava bowed. "He should rest."

"I'll take him. Lea and Isa should be in the same medical ward, right? I want to make sure they're alright." Sora volunteered.

Without another word, she got up on her tip toes and kissed Yozora's cheek before leaving with Lourd to escort Ven to the lab where Ienzo and Even did their work. Skuld looked after them as they left, worried about Ven's recovery. Still, she needed to stay and help with this battle against Luxu.

"Lady Ava, how did you appear to us as if you had a body?" Skuld asked.

"I had the last of my magic available. I hid inside pure lights ever since, keeping myself from Luxu."

"Oh, that's right! Luxu is Xigbar!" Sora piped up.

"Okay, but who _is_ he?" Terra asked.

"He was an apprentice, just like us. But it looks like he had a different role to fill." Aced explained.

"Then it seems like the only course of action is to finish this once and for all." Sora decided.

The group parted to allow Riku and Namine to get closer to Sora. Riku looked at him in disbelief. All this time and he was so close. Didn't he know how much they all worried? That probably didn't matter now. Riku ran up and hugged his friend. When he let go, he rubbed his knuckles on Sora's head and showed a large smile on his face. His best friend was home.

"welcome back, lazy bum. You're just in time, like always."

_finally_.


	19. the final showdown (reupload)

**hey everyone! so this is a reupload because I wasn't happy how the fight was at the end. its not perfect, but it's a lot better. hope you like it!****

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Sora took a deep breath. He didn't think they would ever be going back to that cursed place. He hoped it would be the last time. Gula and Aced- the two guys in the masks had told them all about how Xigbar-no, Luxu was planning something. They had gotten the other two pure lights for them, but that left Zack. He was still out there with Vanitas somewhere.

They had to leave to meet up with their other foretellers before the big battle. It was a shame Luxu hadn't said anything about what the plan was, or else maybe the guardians of light might be able to get a leg up this time.

"I need to kill this Luxu guy. Come on, Namine. We still have the timers on our hands. Let's get going." Yozora began walking away.

"She isn't going anywhere with you." Riku scowled.

"She's my partner. She has to come."

"What do you mean, your partner?" Riku clenched a fist and then turned to the girl. "What happened to you, Nam?"

"According to Joshua, getting pulled out of my replica counted as dying. So I've been recruited into a game. Yozora and I are working towards the same thing. It's alright."

"Wait, Joshua? Then you found him?"

"Yeah. And now he wants us to kill Luxu." Kairi nodded.

A general silence grew over the group. They were just kids and now they were being asked to kill. Others had been told to do the same thing at a similar age according to Rinoa, but it still was a cause for pause. The guy was tricky, but they could pull it off. It was all a matter of working together.

"Oh! That's right! Vanitas has Zack!" Sora gasped.

"What brought this up?" Riku asked.

"I was thinking about what pure lights we had and realized Zack is still missing." Sora shrugged.

Riku and Kairi looked at Sora before looking at each other. They had been able to get the princesses to a safe place. Elsa and Anna were over the moon to be reunited, and Tiana expressed worry over what had happened to her kitchen. Even though there was a foreboding in the air, seeing each other and Sora safe at home brought a small relief.

"Zack? Cloud asked me to check around for that guy. Do you think it's the same one?" Kairi responded.

"It could be. We just have to bring him back safely then we can find out." Sora shrugged.

They got everyone together and made a game plan. Isa and Lea were at least conscious now. But in no matter fit to fight. The other Sora volunteered to watch over them while the others went to face Luxu. Since it was getting late in the day, they decided to go first thing in the morning. Sora *had* just gotten back, after all. He would need some rest and time with Kairi. They decided to split up for the night, as Merlin's house couldn't hold them all.

Roxas and Xion insisted on staying with Lea and Isa, and Leon and Rinoa offered up the room above their place, which Sora, Kairi, Riku and Namine gladly took. Terra, Aqua, Ventus and Skuld stayed with Aerith. She had heard they knew Zack and wanted to talk to them about their experiences.

Sora and his friends took dinner together at a small restaurant, laughing about the old times. All throughout dinner, he never once let go of Kairi's hand. A light blush graced her cheeks the whole time. When they retired, the destiny trio and Namine found the place where they would sleep. It was a small two bedroom flat with a bathroom and small kitchenette.

"I guess girls in one room and boys in another?" Kairi sat on the loveseat couch.

"Thanks but no thanks. I'll sleep out here. No offense, but sora's snoring isn't exactly conducive to a good night's rest." Riku laughed.

"I've never thought it was too bad." Kairi looked at Riku.

"That's because you sleep just as deeply as he does. I'm a light sleeper, so I hear _everything_."

"Then I'll take your spot, Riku." Kairi stated.

When she saw that Riku and Namine gave her a questioning look, she shook her head. "We won't do anything. We've just been apart for so long. You wouldn't deny us that at least, would you?"

"You two are old enough to decide what you want to do. If it'll help you out, I think you should do it." Namine nodded.

"Alright, but I meant it. I hear _everything_." Riku joked.

"Okay, _mom_." Sora rolled his eyes. "At least this way there's room on the bed next to Namine for you."

Both Riku and Namine went red at this, causing Sora and Kairi to laugh. Namine nervously joined in with them before Riku cracked a smile and shook his head. They all stayed up a little later talking about things that had happened and made jokes about the old times. Soon Namine had fallen asleep and Riku bid Sora and Kairi good night as he carefully carried her off to one of the guest rooms. They followed soon after, curling up together on the bed in the other room.

"I'm sorry I left so soon, Kairi." Sora tucked the blankets in around her.

"It wasn't your fault. You were being used as a pawn in a game. I just wish I had come to find you sooner." Kairi paused. "After you left I wondered if you even wanted to be found. You've always liked the adventure."

"Yeah, but if I never was able to leave the islands ever again, I'd still have plenty of adventures at home just being with you." Sora smiled.

"You mean that?"

"Of course. I know I shouldn't have misused the lower of waking, but to me, you're worth it."

Kairi blushed. The pink that lined her cheeks deepened as she realized that he had placed a tender kiss to her head. So much had happened recently. She never had expected things to go like this. But then again, Sora always had a way of sweeping her off her feet. There was a lot to talk about still. But that could wait. For now, they had each other and they had tonight. Sleep came much easier than it had in a long time, and morning came too soon.

Everyone who could make it had arrived. Yozora's girlfriend had stayed behind to watch Lea and Isa in the sickbay. They had just woken up but were still too hurt to join the final battle. Ienzo got the brunt of Lea's aggression at not being able to go along, but after a few sleep spells, the lab was quiet again.

Ven was feeling better and had hugged Skuld tightly when he was finally able to remember everything. There was still so much he wanted to work out emotionally, but before he could do any of that, he needed the final showdown with Luxu and the foretellers. Both he and Skuld figured it might be hard to face those they once looked up to, but it had to be done. Then there was the matter of the dark Ava who was running around. In order to protect the pure lights, Terra and Lourd had volunteered to stay behind with Lauriam and Elrena to protect the pure lights. That way they could also help with creating a replica for Strelitzia.

Feet touched down to sandy ground as everyone arrived to the keyblade graveyard. A warm wind blew across the earth, sand kicking up and getting just about everywhere. The group was quiet. No one wanted to be here after so much had happened, but it was what had been requested. Luxu probably understood how damaging the sight of the land would be to their psyches and chosen that spot in particular.

"So, you didn't chicken out after all. And you brought your precious Sora." Luxu smirked. "But don't worry, I brought one of my own."

From out of a dark corridor just a little way away came seven figures. It was Luxu, Vanitas and the foretellers. A man with spiky black hair was bound and being held by Aced. Aqua gasped when she saw him. Ventus clenched a fist. They had recognized him immediately, even though the last time they saw him was ten years ago. He had aged very well, and seemed to even recognize them right away. A look of bewilderment crossed his face, most likely unaware of how they had managed to stay the same despite the ten year difference.

"Vanitas!" Riku growled.

"In the flesh. I see useless over there managed to find a new body."

Namine scowled at him, calling forth her staff. She was going to get revenge on him for what he had done to her. Everyone else called out their keyblades while Yozora held on to his weapon. Luxu laughed at the way that the group had prepped for battle. It wasn't going to help anyway. The book of prophecies had said this would happen. He was also destined to reach his goal, although there was going to be some trouble from the kid. It didn't matter. He had access to Zack now. Maybe Ava was right and some parts of destiny *could* be changed. That would have to wait. There were other pure lights to capture now. Lucky for him, the guardians of light had already done the dirty work.

"You can deal with this, can't you, kid? I've got a date with destiny." Luxu grabbed Zack and left through a dark corridor. "We'll be at the end of the tunnel if you guys want to come fight me."

Both sora and kairi leapt at him with their keyblades, but just missed him as he left through the dark corridor. Their keyblades swung through the air, leaving their backs vulnerable. Vanitas took advantage of this and summoned his own keyblade in order to attack them. Both Riku and Aqua leapt in after to block the shot. Vanitas was pushed back with a smirk.

"Come on, brother. Why don't you protect your friends? You certainly didn't when Strelitzia was in danger."

"How do you know about that?" Ven jumped toward him.

"How many times do I have to tell you? I am the darkness." Vanitas laughed.

"Come on Vanitas, it's you and me this time!"

Vanitas, Ventus and Aqua hurried away to another portion of the graveyard while Invi pulled out her keyblade and began to shoot spells toward Namine. She used a barrier spell before returning her own fire. Riku jumped in to give her aid. Yozora hurried to the highest cliff in order to find Luxu while Gula reluctantly drew off Sora and Kairi to talk. Aced would have joined them, but Roxas had a score to settle from Arendelle and Xion decided to help him.

**Skuld**

Meanwhile, Ira called out his keyblade and held it up before Skuld. He had been her union's leader, so it was only fitting that they should meet on the battleground. Truth be told, memories of a darker time were rising up in her mind. How much blood had been split here on their accounts?

The foretellers had the books of prophecies. They knew what they were doing. Or at least, it looked like it from the outside. Had they really not been able to see where their in fighting would lead the world? She had been put in a similar position, so she understood the weight he likely had to carry. But they were just children trying to reset civilization and helping everyone to understand their roles.

"You were in my union. How are you still alive?" Ira clashed keyblades with her.

"It's a long story. One that you helped write. Are you sure helping this Luxu is the best idea?"

"Its not my idea who we do and don't follow. Its the master's bidding."

"A lot of help _he's_ been." Skuld scoffed.

"He said he'd come back. We just needed to keep gathering lux."

"Its been over 100 years. I don't think he's coming back."

He pushed her back with clenched teeth while skuld swung her keyblade back to stop her slide. Ira came back at her again, but this time in a more calculated manner. He wasn't brash, like Aced. She was going to have to be careful about how she fought.

**Riku**

This woman with a snake mask was a very skilled fighter. She was strong enough to hold him back while still deflecting Namine's magic. Had he been at full strength, he might have been able to take her on his own. At that moment, he cursed Maleficent. While he was distracted, Invi moved in a way that forced Namine's fireball to hit him in the back. Pain flew through his back until he felt a cure spell coming just a few precious seconds later.

"Sorry, Riku!" Namine called.

"It's fine, just focus!"

Riku slashed braveheart down diagonally and then unleashed a slew of dark fire at his opponent. She was with that Luxu guy. Xigbar of the organization. Riku remembered how nonchalant Xigbar had been the entire time they were working to save Sora. It irked him, but he couldn't say why.

But now he knew. Xigbar may have acted laid back, but he was in perfect control of a lot of things the whole time. He knew more than he let on, and knowing his luck, it was information they needed. Part of Riku also wanted to punch Luxu in his smug face.

"Why are you helping him? He's clearly the enemy." Riku yelled.

The woman paused before she responded. "We didn't have a choice."

"There's always a choice and it's yours to make. The future isn't set in stone."

"And that's where you're wrong. The book of prophecies knew everything that was going to happen. No matter how we tried to fight it, it somehow _knew_."

Riku took a.moment to process this as they both stepped back from their battle. They breathed heavily, worn from physical exertion. Everyone else was depending on them to finish off the foretellers, but Riku was hesitant. Two of them had even helped bring the princesses back. They couldn't be all bad, could they?

"If I had believed that about myself, I would still be the puppet of a madman." Riku began. "You can't change everything that happens to you. But you can change how you react to it. We need your help against Luxu. Please."

Invi bit her lower lip. "I know. Ira and I talked about their actions privately. I...guess I just don't know what to think anymore."

"Then let us help you. With our light and darkness combined, we can create harmony again." Namine offered.

"Harmony…." Invi breathed.

Neither Gula nor Aced had wanted to fight. Fighting was what Luxu wanted them to do. Despite his desire to get revenge, Roxas was never given the fight he had expected. Instead, Gula offered Sora an offer of surrender. What mattered now were the princesses. Long had they given up on any help the master could provide. Luxu had brought them back.for a nefarious purpose. The only true threat here at the moment was Vanitas.

He had been fighting with Ventus and Aqua, but it was obvious that the two were beginning to tire. Since his heart was actually an immortal entity known as darkness, he could keep going where the other two couldn't.

"You remember now, don't you? About how you killed that poor girl that day."

"Shut up! I didn't kill her, you did!" Ven roared, fighting more fiercely with the Sora look alike.

"What was her name again?"

"Don't you say it!"

"That's right. Strelitzia. I remember now."

Ven gripped his keyblade handle harder and began swinging wildly at Vanitas. With each hit he continued to affirm that he had been framed. It _had _been vanitas who had finished her off ling before he ever had a name or a form, but Ven had been the one to bear the brunt of it.

"Ven, you're giving him what he wants! You need to calm down!" Aqua yelled, casting an ice spell at Vanitas.

But Ven wasn't listening. He was tired of waiting so long to get his memory back. He hated that things had played out the way they had. It was all Vanitas' fault. Now they were going to destroy him here and now. Vanitas smiled. This was exactly what he wanted. He had come from Ven's darkness but hadn't taken all of it. He could use what was left to get stronger now.

"No! I won't calm down! I'm not a kid, I'm not a puppet and I won't be framed!" Ven screamed. "I went through war and saw the deaths of everyone I knew. I was thrown into power when didn't even want it in the first place. I just want to be with my friends!"

Ventus was hacking away at Vanitas now, throwing everything he had into the battle. He held his keyblade to the side, murder shining in his eyes. This was the end for Vanitas. He died once, he could slither out of ven's life again. Suddenly, he found he couldn't move his keyblade any more. As he looked back, Sora and Aqua were holding his weapon while Gula and Aced held down Vanitas.

"What are you doing? I thought the goal was to finish this guy off! He keeps showing back up, no matter how many times we beat him."

"Not like this, Ven. You're not you." Aqua argued.

"I know what he did was bad, and he deserves to be finished. But think about what you're doing. Are you any better than he is if you were to finish him off like this?" Sora added.

Ven slowly let his keyblade down. What had he done? Or rather, what was he about to do? He glared down at the shadow from his heart. Vanitas would need to be finished, that much was evident. How was finishing him off angry any different from when he was calm? Surely the ends justified the means.

"Are you suggesting we keep him alive?" Ven asked quietly. "or that by ending him when I'm calm it'll be different?"

"You might as well. I am darkness. I'll come back to find you, Venty- wenty." Vanitas sneered. "I'll get those books from the girl over there and nothing will stop me."

Kairi gasped. he was talking about _her_. had to be referring to the white books they had found in the box, but they still didn't know what they were even for. After the battle, she knew they'd have to read them and unravel yet another mystery that stood before them.

But in the meantime, they had to figure out what to do with Vanitas. He was right. He would just come back, and it was likely that Namine would lose her body again. They'd have to keep going in a cycle with the replicas. There had to be something they could do with him to keep him contained.

Wait, that was it.

"Aqua, do you think we could take him to the realm of darkness? if he really is darkness itself, then he's do just fine. He can't hurt anyone there, and I don't think he'll be able to get out." Sora suggested.

"You're...putting him in time out?" Aqua blinked.

"Yeah, I guess. I worked out well for Riku, so who knows?"

"You really don't understand who I am, do you? I'll be able to get out. And when I can, I'll be coming right for you, brother. You and Kairi both!"

"That's enough, Vanitas. You made your choice. You've decided who you want to be. Now you need to accept what goes with it." Ven said with a tired tone.

Aqua nodded and grabbed Vanitas. she summoned a portal with her keyblade and stepped into it, reappearing alone a few moments later. Not wanting to spend any more time there than she had to, she simply threw him in. Once that was taken care of, the keyblade wielders felt a dark chill line the air when a dark corridor opened up. Out of the depths of it came the pure lights.

"Ira, Invi, stop this useless battling! It's Luxu we need to be fighting!" Aced yelled.

"What do you mean?" Ira hesitated.

Invi released her keyblade and slowly walked over to Ira. She placed a hand on his shoulder and shook her head.

"Maybe we've been wrong to follow the master after all. He set us up last time. I'm sure he's doing it again here, with these children. We hurt so many in the past. Perhaps it's time to call a truce?"

"But...why would the master lie to us? You can't mean to say we followed a man who _wanted_ the keyblade war, can you?"

"I don't have all the answers. But...there is something that makes me feel warm when they speak. I want to follow them." Invi emphasized. "Maybe instead of looking into the future, we start looking at the present."

"Well that sure is a nice sentiment." Luxu walked out of the dark corridor. "I'm gone less than ten minutes and you guys got rid of the kid and took my agents from me. Color me impressed."

"Luxu! Get away from those princesses… and Zack!" Sora yelled.

"Nope. Not gonna happen. I need them together. Although I think I'm missing one from my collection."

Sora placed an arm ahead of Kairi, who already had destiny's embrace called out. She scowled at him and held a battle stance. He merely laughed at her. Fate had already determined that he would get what he needed today. She would go with him willingly, too. All he had to do was threaten the pesky keyblade wielder.

"Come with me quietly and I don't have to blow your boyfriend's brains out." Luxu pointed his weapons at Sora.

"You won't hurt him and you won't get away with this!" Kairi yelled.

"Fate says differently, princess."

"Then maybe it's time to change that fate!" Kairi huffed.

For a moment, everything slowed down. Everyone had stopped, even Luxu. But somehow Kairi and the other pure lights were still moving in real time. Most of them were looking around, unsure of exactly what was going on. From Kairi's chest came a light and out popped Ava. She was looking a little tired. The time spell must have been her doing. She and Kairi leapt up to where the pure lights were.

"You have to finish this. Luxu is extension of the master of masters and neither of them are up to no good. Use your powers together. It'll prevent his heart from moving to another body."

"He can do that?" Kairi gasped.

"Yes. It's a long story, but similar to what I'm doing with you, Kairi. But it's stopping me from holding onto this spell for long."

"How do we do that? I still don't really know how we helped last time except for the fact that I believed Sora would fix everything." Kairi clenched her free fist.

"That's what you have to do again. Believing isn't as useless as people make it out to be. Sometimes just the hope for the future can spread good like dandelion seeds." Ava replied.

"Then we can finish him off the old fashioned way, right?" Zack asked.

"Yes." Ava whispered.

They may have been enemies at the end, but she had worked with luxu for a while. To think of killing someone she knew was a harder task than she imagined. Perhaps she was wrong for trying to fight fate. Everything ended up as the master predicted after all. Still, they had to try. They had to keep kingdom hearts from opening again.

"I can't hold it any longer, Kairi. Good luck!" Ava faded away, the light returning to Kairi.

Time moved again, and Kairi turned, Luxu standing a small way away from her. She pulled out Destiny's embrace and ran right for him. A pink light shown at her heart.

"We can do this!"

She brought her weapon up to slash from above and looked over to see Zack had the same idea with his buster blade. There was a small blue light coming from his chest. He smiled at her and they attacked. There was a power between them that felt different than anything she had ever experienced.

From behind them, Elsa shot out a burst of ice toward Luxu. Yellow, white, green, purple and red lights were emitting from the pure lights as they did anything they could to stop Luxu from attacking. Sora and the gang managed to get to the top only to see the pure lights attacking where they could. They were surprisingly effective at keeping him at bay.

Luxu shot at each of the princesses one by one. He got a couple of them, but was immediately attacked by Sora, Kairi and Zack. Nobodies rose from the ground to keep everyone else busy, but he couldn't shake those three.

"This is hardly fair. I thought you guys were supposed to be the good guys." Luxu joked.

"Yeah. But you've been a thorn in our side long enough. It's time to end this, Luxu." Sora replied.

Luxu pushed the three off and aimed his weapon at Kairi. Zack used his buster sword to deflect it, and he gave Sora a thumbs up. They prepared to attack once more, combining the energies they had gathered. Half of the group began to fight the nobodies who had appeared around the pure lights. A demon tide also appeared, and that was enough to keep everyone busy except for Sora and Kairi. This was just like it was then, too.

With a small laugh, Luxu lunged at them, disappearing shortly before reappearing behind them, upside down in the air. He shot a few lasers at them, which Sora deflected before Kairi could get hurt. The two ran for him to close the gap in between. He simply disappeared again and took the reins of a large blaster, high up in the air. Sora called out a fire spell while attempting to duck and weave out of Luxu's crosshairs.

When the blaster went away, he returned for some melee, hoping to catch at least one of them off guard. He let go of his guns and called forth No name, swinging at Kairi with a glint in his eyes. They locked gazes for a moment, and a rush of familiarity flowed through Kairi. She knew him. He was there somewhere in her memories. Those yellow eyes still haunted her to this day.

"Who are you?" Kairi growled.

"Just your friendly neighborhood guardsman."

"Who did nothing when she was being threatened by a shadow Ava!" Sora leapt into the fray.

"How do you know about that, kid?"

"I know a lot more than I'm given credit for!" Sora parried his slash and shot off another fire spell.

"Well, what you know of the past doesn't matter. I have what I want now. The keyblade, the book, my box."

He slammed the hilt down towards Sora's head, which Kairi stopped with a barrier spell. Luxu spun around and swung his keyblade, which Sora stopped with his own. Kairi attempted to swing at him while Sora had him stopped, but he pulled out his gun-like weapon and held her off too. They were so close to having an opening.

"What's in the box?" Sora inquired through gritted teeth.

"Its my destiny. Fate says-"

All of a sudden, Luxu stopped talking. He fell to the earth and yozora shot the heart that floated up out of him, just for good measure. As he looked at his palm, he smirked. The numbers counting down were gone. He was finally free to get his regular look back and go home with his Sora. There was no need to be involved in the affairs of this world anymore.

Even though Luxu was gone, the lights from the pure light's hearts still shone and began shooting their beams up to the sky. Once again that heart shaped moon appeared as well as a man in a hooded cloak. He walked forward and clapped, congratulating them on fulfilling his destiny. With the nobodies gone, all weapons were primed to attack.

What would have happened is a mystery, as he summoned individual dark corridors under their feet, sending each to their respective home worlds.

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**alright, next chapter is the epilogue! like I said, there is another story after this, but I'm working on my dragon age au, and that's gonna take a long time to finish, so...hope you liked this one off!**


	20. The End

**Hey everyone! Here is the final chapter of this story. As I've said, there is another story after this that answers all of the questions this one set forth, but because I'm working on a very long AU, it's likely never going to happen. Sorry about that. I also know that this story changed halfway through-I hope you guys still liked what I have presented; I know it didn't always make sense or whatever. Thank you so much for the support of those who read, reviewed and let me know your thoughts. Hope you guys enjoyed this journey as much as I did!**

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**The Land of Departure **

With a shake of his head, Ventus looked around. Sitting next to him and mirroring his actions was Aqua. They were back into the Land of Departure, and the entire area was dark and silent. It was night time now, something they hadn't expected after fighting in the clouded sunshine of the keyblade graveyard. A small tune floated through the air, coming from Aqua's pocket. It was her gummi phone.

"Hello?"

"Aqua, there you are. Skuld just dropped into the lab through some dark corridor, so I was worried. Where are you?" Terra asked.

"We're...home. what happened with the princesses?"

Terra turned his head and clenched his teeth. The lab looked fairly trashed in the background, but at least Aqua couldn't see any scratches or bruises on Terra.

"Is Ven with you?" He brought her out of her thoughts.

"Yes. Here, you can talk to him." Aqua handed the boy her phone.

"Terra, are you okay? Luxu got the princesses." Ven reported.

"Yeah, I know. The guy came in and used some powerful spells. We fought as best as we could, but...I failed again."

"It's not your fault, Terra. Luxu is more powerful than anything we gave him credit for. We were able to finish him off, but.. " Aqua trailed off.

"Looks like he's the last of our worries. Someone even stronger showed up and zapped us all home." Ven finished.

"That explains the dark corridor then." Terra mused. "Alright. They have things handled here. I'm coming home."

While they waited for their friend, Aqua and Ventus sat out in the training yard and looked up at the night sky like they always had. Ventus never let his eyes waver from the lights, but Aqua couldn't help but sneak glances at him. They hadn't had as many chances to hear about all of the dreams he had while he was sleeping, and now that his memories were back, she was sure there was more to talk through. Who was that Strelitzia girl Vanitas had taunted him with?

"I'm sure you want to know so much." Ven muttered, as if he had read her thoughts.

"Take your time. You have a whole lifetime to remember. If there are parts that are hard to talk about, just know that Terra and I will always be there for you. And everyone else, too."

"Thanks, Aqua. You guys are the best."

"Of course. We're friends."

"Would you guys still be my friend if you knew everything?" Ven looked at his hands.

While it was true he hadn't _wanted_ to kill the girl, his hands _had_ struck the final blow. To be honest, he wasn't exactly sure whether he was innocent anymore. it had been so long and that part of his brain had been altered when Vanitas was ripped from him by Master Xehanort. If he hadn't been so full of self doubt and fear, then maybe that cloud of darkness wouldn't have been so quick to choose him as a vessel.

Aqua looked over in concern. She would have immediately reassured him of their loyalty, but she needed a moment to think. Ventus deserved a more heartfelt answer despite however much she believed in a quick 'of course'. Even if he really had done what Vanitas accused him of, what was in the past was in the past.

"It doesn't matter who you were back then, Ven. What and how it happened isn't anything Terra and I are worried about. We've made our own mistakes and yet you still held out hope for us. Now its our turn to help you." Aqua gently placed a hand on his back.

The two were interrupted by the opening of a portal and Terra's keyblade glider sailing out of it. He made a quick landing and got out of his armor before walking over to Aqua and Ventus. Before he even sat down, he was able to read the emotions between the two. Carefully, he placed his hand on top of Aqua's on Ven's back.

"Hey, no matter what you're going through, just know you don't have to do it alone." Terra reassured.

His hand was warm on Aqua's, and she could feel her stomach fluttering about simply from the touch of his hand. A light blush crossed her face, but she didn't draw attention to it. Right now Ven needed them to be there for him. But that didn't stop her from looking over and flashing Terra a warm smile. He smiled back, eyes softening at her until Ven started to stir.

"You're right. Thanks, guys." Ven looked up and met each of their eyes.

"Don't forget, you have me, too!" Chirithy appeared from out of thin air. "I wouldn't want to miss another adventure with you."

"Thanks, Chirithy." Ven took the cat-like creature in his arms.

The three stayed like that for the rest of the night. They could figure out what to do next in the morning. For now, it was best to just enjoy the night sky like they always had, resting from their anxiety over Sora.

**Yozora**

When the timer disappeared from Yozora's hand, a wave of relief washed over him. He had been returned to his own room, laying on his bed. Sora and Lourd were hopefully gathering up their things and coming home now, however they could. He sighed and held up his phone in an attempt to reach them. He stopped for a moment upon seeing his reflection on the blank screen.

That was odd. He should have seen a shock of silvery hair on the phone before booting it up. Instead, it was the same black he had seen all growing up. Yozora quickly put his phone down and hurried over to the bathroom that connected to his room and flipped on the light. Sure enough, instead of the face he had known recently, staring back at him was his true face.

The red eye had carried over into his appearance in the game, but that was all he had left of his experience in the underground. Now everything was just the same as it was when he had left it. Except neither Sora nor Lourd could be found. He held up his phone to try and call them, but couldn't get a connection to them. Was this part of his price to pay in coming back to life?

His memory was fuzzy. All he remembered was fighting that gigas after Sora had been kidnapped. Aegis and Magia were right behind him, he was sure. Then that man in the black coat came up and pulled out a large weapon of some sort. He hadn't ever seen one like it before. Then...nothing. he was standing on an ocean that went for her, the night sky and its stars the only companions to him. And then. Yes. That was when Joshua came to him and asked if he wanted to be returned to Sora.

"Name your price. I won't be separated from her again." Yozora had told him.

"Complete a task or two and you'll get to see her again." Joshua smirked.

"Fine."

He did it. Whatever it was Joshua had asked him to do. The night before that final battle had been everything he ever dreamed of. Sora was back in his arms, just like he remembered her. They had spent the whole night talking softly so no one else would hear them. Even now he could smell a phantom of the perfume she always wore. His hands remembered her soft skin and the way it felt on his calloused fingers.

But that price. Had it been too high? Yozora slammed his fist down. He couldn't remember Joshua saying anything about Sora in it. He yelled in anger before he heard an unfortunately familiar voice behind him.

"You sure are a loud sleeper."

It was Joshua.

"Where is she you son of a-"

"Woah, hold on there, Yozora. I gave you exactly what you wanted. As I recall you said I could name my price."

"Then why isn't she here?"

"Funny thing about debts. Eventually they _do_ have to be paid." Joshua leaned on the dresser by the wall. "You were helping me with one of mine."

Yozora rammed his fist into Joshua's face; or rather where his face should have been. Instead, it met with the wall of his room, breaking up the material that was by the door. The figure of Joshua smirked at Yozora, the latter's arm fazed through part of his head. He pulled his fist back and barked at Joshua for an explanation.

"I'm not really there. Even I don't have that kind of power. Not yet anyway. One of the reasons I needed you to get rid of Luxu."

"Then where is Sora?"

"Exactly where you left her." Joshua shrugged. "Back in the other world line."

Yozora wasn't sure what Joshua meant by world line, but he didn't care. He needed Sora back where she was supposed to be. It was his job to save her. She was his girlfriend and they had promised to keep each other safe forever. He had failed her once, but he wouldn't do it again. Once he found her again, he wouldn't ever leave her.

"Bring her back!" Yozora snarled.

"Can't. That was your price to play the reaper's game. You left her. And it looks like you're doing it again."

Yozora grit his teeth. Joshua wasn't making any sense. He wasn't going to leave her. What happened wasn't his fault. There was no way he was going to stop now that he was so close. He had he again and she slipped through his fingertips.

"But...I don't trust that hooded man. So tell you what. I might be able to pull some strings. Get you somewhere close enough. But it's going to come at a price."

"Doesn't it always?" Yozora sighed.

It was coming back to him now. How he had paid the price of ever living at home again. He would be exiled, but he didn't care. He had agreed because he needed to keep his love safe.

"Before we go any further. I need to know how I got home. I thought I was supposed to never be able to come back to this place again."

"You weren't supposed to. But then that man sent you all back home when Luxu was killed. I've been looking everywhere for you. He sent you back to your world line, which is separate from mine. It's why I'm only able to appear to you like this."

"I see." Yozora replied.

"Well, do you want to take a chance on my offer or not?"

Yozora took a few minutes to respond. "Fine. But no funny business this time. I want Sora safe."

The image of Joshua stood up. His hands found their way to his pockets and were unceremoniously shoved in. He gave that same wicked smirk before replying.

"Don't you want to know what the price is this time?"

"What do you want?"

"I want Sora and Kairi to be my new reapers. That way our not-so-friendly buddy the master can't have them."

"I just need to kill them then, right?"

"Bingo. Then you and yours can wander the stars as long as you want."

Yozora stared at him without a trace of regret in his eyes. "You have a deal."

**Xion**

Upon being dropped back in twilight town, Xion felt herself landing on something soft. She wasn't sure what exactly had just happened, but from the glow of the sunset, they were most certainly home. She looked down to find that she hadn't landed on something- she landed on some_one_.

"Oh my gosh, Roxas! I'm so sorry!" Xion skittered off of him.

"No, its fine, I was just as surprised as the trip as you were. Do you think Lea and Isa are alright?"

"Let's give them a call."

As the gummi phone was ringing , they huddled close together so they could both see the screen. Xion wasn't unaware of the way Roxas placed his hand on hers. It was familiar and reassuring, even if she was still sweating a little from the physical exertion.

When Lea popped up on the screen, they saw a trashed background and a relieved smile on his face.

"Hey kiddos. How was the last battle?"

"We survived, but some guy in an organization jacket snapped and now we're back at home." Roxas reported.

"Well, I wonder if it was the guy who was working with Xigbar. Or Luxu or whatever that guy goes by these days. Man if I were back up to full strength I'd-"

Isa placed a hand on his shoulder and looked at him, silently telling him something that neither Roxas nor Xion quite understood. Lea sighed and shook his head.

"I know. There's no use in fighting it. Besides, sounds like you guys took care of him already." Lea responded.

"Well, Yozora did it. But it looks like you guys had a bit of a scuffle yourself." Xion noticed.

"Yes. That Luxu character took the princesses away. I've had my suspicions about him, but I was never in a position to call him out on anything." Isa noted.

A heavy silence broke over them as they had recalled their interactions with Xigbar during their time in the organization. He was always aloof and played his cards close to his chest. But honestly, except for Demyx, they were almost all like that. There were likely several more secrets that were left unsolved when the organization was disbanded and the members recompleted.

"Well anyway, I'm glad you guys are safe." Lea broke the silence.

"Yeah. Are you guys okay to come home?" Roxas asked.

"We should be in the morning. Isa wants to help Ienzo clean up the lab." Lea shrugged. "Which I guess we wouldn't need to if he and I hadn't gone crazy on the magic. Like we knew he'd pull out that stop spell."

"It's okay. We'll take care of the house. You guys come home safely tomorrow, okay?"

"Will do, little boss." Lea replied before the screen went black.

Xion pocketed her phone and turned to Roxas. According to the local time it was in the middle of the night, even though it didn't look like it. But twilight town had always been like that. It was what gave the town it's peculiar name. It was a little comforting to the two that their home never really got dark, even at night when other worlds did.

"We don't have to go home _right_ away, do we?" Xion softly reached for Roxas's hand.

"No, not really." Roxas intertwined his fingers into hers. "We could go check out the clock tower."

"Without Lea and Isa? They'll find out, you know." Xion chuckled.

"Then sunset hill?"

"It's a date."

They walked their way over to the hill that overlooked the town and the train tracks. Together they sat down on the grassy edge of the hill, hands never leaving each other. All throughout their time as humans they had lived a little uneasily. There had been so much that was unsaid between them.

It didn't seem that Roxas needed to say even a part of what he felt though. In just this one connection Xion understood fully what he thought of her. She wondered why she hadn't been able to do anything about it before.

"So, what now?" Roxas asked, keeping his eyes on the train lights in the distance.

"About the new threat, or now that Sora's home or…"

"Well, yes to those, but that wasn't what I was talking about "

"I guess...we just take it one day at a time." Xion replied softly.

One day. Today could be the first of many. Now that Sora was home, they would offer as much aid as they could, but they didn't have much to go on. So for now, they could just be two kids. Two kids in love.

**Radiant Garden**

Skuld, Lourd and Sora left Ienzo, Lea and Isa cleaning the lab. _what now_ was the question on their minds as well. Before, Sora had managed to get them over to this world line with her magic and the strange machine in the palace basement. The gigas had taken her away and she was brought to the machine where she escaped. Lourd had managed to follow her at Yozora's command, but everything had been done the way it was intended.

Since the machine wasn't here, they had no way of getting home. As much as she was happy to see her friends, there was one person she wanted to see more than anyone else. But she didn't know where he was. And what was even worse is that their separation had been told to them over and over again. She thought she could change fate, but that wasn't going to happen.

It seemed like they were destined to be away from each other forever. He must have been returned home like everyone else. They had gotten to know one another through consistent letters that passed across the world lines. They were small enough that magic could ride their connection and get to each other. This was the second time she had ever seen him in person.

"Where are you going to go, Lourd?" Sora asked.

"I intend to stay with you until my job is completed."

"But what job could there be? Yozora is gone. We can't reach him."

"If you were able to be reunited with Lea and Isa, then you should be able to see Yozora again." Skuld encouraged.

Sora looked down at her feet. She was supposed to have saved her world by bringing Bahamut into this world line. Time after time she tried telling them that he wasn't some sort of pet. She could communicate with him, sure, but she couldn't force him to do anything. If he wanted to destroy the world like he said he would...then so be it.

Maybe….maybe it was time to seek out the Aeon.

"Lourd, perhaps I _do_ have one more job for you to do." Sora summoned her staff. "Let's go find Behamut. Would you like to join us, Skuld?"

"It would be my pleasure."

**Riku **

When the dark corridors opened up, Riku reached for the people closest to him. He had hoped to reach Sora, Kairi and Namine, but the only one he had successfully grabbed had been the latter. Her eyes were shut tight as they traveled through the dark corridor. As they were flung onto the soft sand of the main island back at home, they rolled together before coming to a stop. Namine had ended up on her back, her hands clinging onto his shoulders. Riku held himself above her, his hands on either side of her head.

It took them a few minutes to realize how they had landed, and Riku moved to get up, but was tugged back down by Namine's skilled hands. She smiled at him. That smile was enough to make him go weak at the knees. He was beginning to understand why Sora had acted the way he had around Kairi all those years. Part if him hoped she didn't hear the way his heart _thumped_ in his chest.

"Thank you." She brought him out of his thoughts.

"Thank you? For what?"

"For giving me a safe place to go when Vanitas overtook me. I found a place to call home in your heart."

"I wondered how you found your way into my dreams."

Namine smiled at him again and followed his lead as he pulled her wiped the sand off of her and took a few steps out to the sea. The breeze pushed her hair off her shoulder. She closed her eyes and took in the night. Riku began to reach his hand out to her, but brought it back when she turned around.

"Your heart and your dreams were connected. I simply followed that connection and found Kairi. Can't say I was expecting to see her there. But I'm glad I did." Namine held her hands behind her back.

"Yeah."

"Tell me...were you scared?"

Riku cocked his head and hesitated. Could he really tell her the truth? He wasn't sure he was ready, but he also didn't want to lie. Besides Sora and Kairi, Namine was the most important person to him. She was his light in the dark. She probably had a right to know that, but with Sora missing, it never seemed to be the right time.

"When Vanitas took me away. Were you scared?"

"Why wouldn't I be? I had no idea where you went. After what happened at the World that Never Was, I wasn't….I didn't want to lose you again."

"I wasn't scared."

"You...weren't?"

Namine shook her head. "Of course not. I felt safe the entire time. I figured you'd be there soon enough. And then you were, like always."

"What do you mean? I wasn't there."

"It wasn't you as you are now, but rather, you the way your heart sees you. It was that other you who led me to that connection to your dream."

That made sense. It was a little odd to think of there being another version of himself inside his own heart, but at least it gave Namine the guidance she needed. He only hoped that the other version of him didn't tell her anything embarrassing. Perhaps he needed to do some damage control just in case.

"He...the other me, that is, he didn't say anything odd to you, did he?"

"What do you mean, odd?"

"Like...he didn't say anything about the future, did he?"

"He only said it didn't scare him at all." Namine replied nonchalantly. "Now that Sora is home, everything should go back to the way it's supposed to be."

Oh. So he had nothing to worry about. But she was so calm about it that he almost wondered if she didn't share his feelings. His heart may not have been worried about the future, but his head still had one very important thing to fret over. But that was a subject for another day, he supposed.

"Yeah. Now that Sora is home, we can finally get back to things. After we figure out who the guy in black was."

"We will." Namine nodded. "We'll do it together."

"Of course. Now that Sora and Kairi are together, there won't be anything that can stop them."

"He wanted to see you, too."

Riku nodded. He had missed his best friend. Between trying to help Kairi, searching the worlds for him and visiting Sora's mother in her grief, he hadn't had much time to decompress and figure out his own feelings on the subject. He just wanted his best friend home. They would have time to spend together, although now that Sora and Kairi's relationship had changed, they would all have to learn to adjust to each other.

"Sora is my best friend, and of course I want to see him. But I think tonight he's going to be a little busy clearing things out with Kairi. I'll hang out with him tomorrow before we decide what to do about the man in the cloak."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Now come on, let's get you home. I'm sure your parents were expecting a call before now."

"Okay." Namine nodded, holding on to her head.

"You alright?"

"Mhm. I guess this new replica body just had a harder time with dark corridors than I was expecting. I was just fine with them back then."

"Well then come on. I'll carry you home. It's not far from here."

Riku turned his back and bent down so that Namine could climb upon it. She chuckled a little and wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her chin on his shoulder. She really did feel safe here. His scent of sea salt and cedar was always welcome to her. As they arrived at her home, they saw the light on.

"Thank you Riku. I think I can handle it from here." Namine patted his shoulder.

He let her down a short walk away from the porch, assuring her he could carry her the rest of the way. She shook her head, reminding him about her father's overprotective nature. Before Riku could walk away and Namine lost her courage, she took his hand and got up on her tip toes on order to kiss his cheek. He was frozen in place as she waved goodnight and walked away.

**Sora**

As the darkness enveloped him, Sora grabbed onto Kairi all the tighter. He had let go of her enough times in the past. He wasn't planning on letting that trend continue. They were flung out of the dark corridor and landed on the play island at home. Sora landed on his feet, holding Kairi close to him. As the dark corridor disappeared, they opened their eyes to find themselves by the paopu tree.

"Is this…?" Kairi looked up.

"Where it all began, really." Sora kept his eyes on her.

Kairi nodded and leaned her head into Sora's chest. He was warm and comfortable. Strong arms wrapped further around her. Sora leaned his head on Kairi's, tenderly kissing the crown of it. It only made sense that he should show her the affection that he had so long ignored.

"That man had such power, even more than Xehanort. Are you sure we'll be able to defeat him?" Kairi whispered.

"Of course! Now that we're together, there's nothing that can stop us."

While Sora was mostly sure they could handle whatever life had to throw at them, he wasn't sure they were ready right then and there to fight off this new threat. He also didn't want to risk putting Kairi in danger. They had only just gotten back together. Besides there were still so many questions left unanswered. Who was the man? What did the foretellers have to do with Luxu? What were those books Kairi had told him about? Where were the pure lights now? To be perfectly honest, they all made his head feel like it was floating. But then he looked down and was reminded that Kairi was there in his arms. She grounded him when he began drifting away.

"Sora, you never changed. Thank you." Kairi locked eyes with him.

"What do you mean?"

"You're still that cheerful, kind person I fell in love with, despite everything that happened. You remember that day on the pier, right? Just before the world was overrun by heartless?"

"Yeah, I remember." Sora replied. "You've changed though, Kairi."

She seemed surprised by this. A light blush crossed her cheek. Sora laughed a little at the way she reacted to his words. He poked her nose and hugged her tightly again.

"Whatever comes our way, we can handle it. Our destinies are intertwined, remember? I feel strong with you, even if we can't beat that man right this second."

"Yeah, I guess so." Kairi replied. "We still need to find out what happened to the pure lights. Zack is with them."

"We should probably gather everyone together tomorrow and make a plan."

"Yeah." Sora nodded. "We have a much bigger group of fighters this time."

"Our best bet would be to start with those books. If there's going to be any answers available to us, it'll be there."

"Right." Sora nodded. "Then once this is all over, we can come home. For good this time."

"For good?"

"Well" Sora placed his hands behind his head "for now, anyway."

Kairi chuckled. With that, Sora stole a kiss and flew her to the mainland. They walked to her front door together, passing a still frozen Riku along the way. He loosened up when he saw them, and Sora clapped him on the back.

"Did someone give you a good night kiss?" Sora smirked.

"Wha-? How did you-?" Riku responded.

"That was just a lucky guess, but it looks like I hit the nail on the head. Go get her, tiger!"

"You're ridiculous." Riku shook his head. "Besides, you should look to see who's talking. Anyway, what's the plan, Mr. Hero?"

"Find those books, find the pure lights and figure out what that man in the cloak is planning." Sora crossed his arms.

"That's your plan?"

"I'm sure we'll come up with a better one in the morning." Kairi gently added.

With that, the trio said their goodbyes. No one knew what tomorrow would bring, but as long as they had each other, they could make it through.

**Kingdom Hearts**

No one, except the master, of course. With each of the pure lights under a sleeping spell and resting in the memory of a particular room, the hooded man held up no name to the sun. He had the book, the keyblade and the box. A grin shone on his shadowed face.

The book had said Luxu would be successful. However, that didn't fit the narrative the master was orchestrating anymore. The foretellers that the master's apprentice had brought back would be a thorn in his side, too. But that was no matter. Keys could both lock and unlock. With that darkness floating around somewhere, he was bound to be able to find the right fiends. It wouldn't matter what world they were on.

"Well now, little lights. We have a very bright future together. Now that we've opened Kingdom Hearts in this world line, I have a few other places we need to check out. Hope you don't mind a little _world tour_."

The master turned and sighed, looking at the sleeping people.

"You know, you come up with a great line and they're not even awake to hear it. Ah well. I'm sure there's plenty of time for it later."

With that, he left them to their slumber as he walked into the light, off to complete some more business in order to shape the future.

* * *

**And that's it! Thanks for sticking with me! Feel free to check out some of my other stuff (even though most of it is pretty old and cringey) The ongoing AU i'm working on is called "Dragon Age: Wayfinder" (depending on when you're reading this, there may be sequels out to it, so just go ahead and check my page, lol. Anyway, Feel free to leave me one last review. Thanks for the support!**


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